By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 24, 2024: INDIA and US, together, are a formidable force which can ensure peace, prosperity and stability in the world. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh while interacting with the Indian diaspora after landing in Washington on August 22, 2024 on a four-day visit to US. The Raksha Mantri described India and US as natural allies, which are destined to be strong partners, and this collaboration is growing continuously.

Rajnath Singh re-asserted the fact that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's stature has grown on the global stage. "Earlier, India's words at international fora were not heeded; but yesterday, the whole world listens carefully," he said.

The Raksha Mantri pointed out that before 2014, India was among the 'Fragile Five' nations, as coined by investment firm Morgan Stanley, and yesterday it finds itself among the 'Fabulous Five' economies of the world. He cited the firm's recent report, which says that India will become the third largest economy by 2027. He stressed that the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic ensured that the Indian economy was not adversly impacted as compared to other countries.

Rajnath Singh highlighted the fact that the government has successfully brought 25 crore people above poverty line. He added that as per latest data, retail inflation fell to a five-year low of 3.54% and foreign exchange reserves have reached an all-time high of USD675 billion.

The Raksha Mantri enumerated the steps taken by the Government to achieve 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence, including the notification of Positive Indigenisation Lists comprising over 5,000 items. He emphasised that the consistent efforts are being made to ensure that state-of-the-art defence items are manufactured on Indian soil by domestic companies.

Rajnath Singh acknowledged the fact that the defence exports, which were Rs 600 crore before the current government came to power, have now risen significantly to over Rs 21,000 crore. He added that due to the measures taken to promote innovation, the number of start-ups in the country rapidly increased to 1.20 lakh from around 400 in 2014. He credited these achievements to the willpower along with the policies & planning of the Government. Voicing the Prime Minister's vision, he said: "We want to develop India into a strong, secure and prosperous nation".

The Raksha Mantri concluded the address by urging the Indian community in the US to work with honesty and dedication, in line with the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (The World is One Family).

Coinciding with Rajnath Singh's arrival, senior defence officials from both sides signed two major agreements - Security of Supplies Arrangement (SOSA) and Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers.

During his US visit, the Raksha Mantri will hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of Defence Mr Lloyd Austin. He will also meet the US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Mr Jake Sullivan. In addition, he will chair a high-level round-table meeting with the US defence industry on the ongoing and future defence collaborations. The visit is expected to further deepen and broaden the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.