Bengaluru:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said India is going through a revolutionary phase of transformation, and the country’s fighter jets, missile systems, naval vessels are not only protecting our borders but are also becoming the center of attraction for the entire world.

He said this at the indigenisation event and the valedictory ceremony of Aero India 2025 here.

Highlighting the adoption of indigenously manufactured defence products by the country’s armed forces, he said nothing less than the best can be allowed when it comes to national security.

“Aero India has reached heights that are not only unparalleled but historic,” the Defence Minister said.

“I was personally present for the past three days in this event and if I have to express my experience in three words, it is energy, energy and energy,” he said.

“Whatever we could see in Yelahanka is a manifestation of energy, and the energy and enthusiasm could be seen not only among the participants from India but from across the world. The enthusiasm seen among our entrepreneurs, our startups and innovators is commendable.” Noting that the country is going through a revolutionary phase of transformation, the Defence Minister said, “We all know that India has historically been dependent on imports for its defence needs. If I look back about a decade ago, 65 to 70 per cent of defence equipment was being imported into our country.” “If we look at the situation today, you may call it resolution or a miracle, but almost the same percentage of defence equipment is being manufactured in the country today,” he said.

Mr Singh said, the country today is standing at such a juncture where fighter jets, missile systems, naval vessels, or many such equipment and platforms, are not only protecting India’s borders, but are also becoming the center of attraction for the entire world.

“Today, we are exporting everything from small artillery to large platforms like Brahmos and Akash missile systems to many countries. This is not only increasing our defence exports, but our new partnerships with different countries are also developing and strengthening at the global level,” he said, as he credited firm reserve and firm conviction and trust of stakeholders for it.

Highlighting that today the country has a strong defence industrial complex, comprising 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings, 430 licensed companies, and about 16,000 MSMEs, the Defence Minister said, a special thing about this is that the private sector is participating actively in achieving the goal of self-reliance, with a current contribution of 21 per cent in total defence production.

It has been the endeavour of the government from the very beginning to remove the uncertainties and provide a level playing field to the private sector. The government is constantly bringing such policies so that not only the public sector moves forward in defence manufacturing, but both the public sector and the private sector move forward together, he said.

Also appreciating the patriotism and nationalism shown by defence forces by showing their full trust towards indigenously manufactured defence products, he further said, “Our forces have wholeheartedly adopted weapons and all types of war-related equipment manufactured in the country.” Rajnath Singh said if the country has been able to take the campaign of self-reliance to this level today, and wants to move ahead at an even faster pace, then it can be achieved only with the complete satisfaction of our armed forces.

Seeing the development of the aerospace industry in the country today, Mr Singh said, “I can say with confidence that in the transformative era that we are all going through, India is now moving towards becoming not just a participant but also a global leader in sectors like defence innovation and aerospace technology.” Noting that the impact of Aero India will last for a very long time, the Defence Minister said, more than 500 delegates from 84 countries, including foreign guests, Defence Ministers, service chiefs participated in the event. He also thanked 931 exhibitors, including 782 Indians.

Fifty eight Original Equipment Manufacturers and 115 global CEOs participated in Aero India and this is the biggest participation so far, he said.

With the three business days of the 15th edition of Aero India ending on February 12, the next two days of the event will be open for the public to witness the aero show.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu took a sortie today as a co-pilot in the HJT-36 jet trainer at the Yelahanka Air Base in Bengaluru during the 2025 Aero India show. Hindustan Jet Trainer-36 has been rechristened ‘Yashas’ from ‘Sitara’ after undergoing extensive modifications.

“An unforgettable experience of flying a jet at Aero India 2025. Had the incredible opportunity to do a sortie on the HJT-36 ‘Yashas’, a remarkable jet aircraft proudly made in India by HAL. This indigenous marvel is a testament to India’s growing prowess in aerospace and defence manufacturing,” Ram Mohan Naidu said.

“Thrilled to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision soaring to new heights with state-of-the-art avionics,” he added.

Wearing a pilot G suit, Mr Naidu first gave a thumbs up, then wore the pilot’s helmet and the oxygen mask before taking off.

The aircraft was piloted by Harsh Vardhan Thakur, a Chief Test Pilot with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, the manufacturer of ‘Yashas’/’Sitara’.

Minister Ram Mohan Naidu with HAL’s Chief Test Pilot HV Thakur

The aircraft is part of the flying display at the air show. It was renamed during Aero India 2025.

“The large-scale changes to the baseline intermediate training platform have led to significant upheaval in its capabilities and hence provided an opportunity for a new name to be given per the aircraft’s continued relevance as a training system for modern military aviation,” HAL CMD, DK Sunil said.

The aircraft was recently upgraded with state-of-the-art avionics and an ultra-modern cockpit for induction into service. These will enhance training effectiveness and operational efficiency, whilst providing weight reduction and overcoming obsolescence of imported equipment with Indian LRUs (Line-Replaceable Units), the HAL said.

HJT-36 will act as a stage 2 trainer for the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, bridging the gap between the HAL and the high-performance Su-30 or Tejas fighters, ensuring a seamless progression in pilot training.

Over 70% of its components including the airframe, avionics and flight control systems are domestically produced but the aircraft is powered by the Russian NPO Saturn AL-55I engine HAL is looking for options for indigenisation.