Prime Minister Narendra Modi soared through the skies on Saturday aboard a Tejas fighter jet during his visit to Bengaluru, where he toured the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facilities. His purpose was to oversee the ongoing work at the manufacturing unit.
During his visit, the Prime Minister specifically reviewed the manufacturing unit responsible for the Tejas jets. Sharing moments from his flight on social media platform X, Modi described the experience as "incredibly enriching," expressing heightened confidence in India's indigenous capabilities.
Emphasizing the government's commitment to indigenous defence production, Modi has been a vocal advocate for boosting manufacturing within the country and amplifying exports. The Tejas, a light combat aircraft, has garnered interest from several nations. Notably, during the Prime Minister's visit to the US, a collaboration was initiated between US defence giant GE Aerospace and HAL for the joint production of engines for the Mk-II-Tejas.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded India's remarkable achievement in defence exports, highlighting a record high of Rs 15,920 crore in FY 2022-2023. This surge in exports marks a significant milestone for the country's defence sector, as noted earlier this year by the Defence Minister.