India cannot depend on other countries for its security: Defence Secretary

India cannot depend on other countries for its security and safeguarding national interests, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said on Thursday.

Speaking at the national symposium and industry meet on ‘Emerging Technologies in Infrastructure Development’ organised by the DRDO, Aramane stressed that self-reliance will help the country take giant strides on the path of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

He also emphasised the need to achieve self-reliance in every field to deal with future challenges.

"India is a country with a significant percentage of young population, and self-reliance will ensure gainful employment for them," he said.

Underlining the importance of achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, Aramane asserted that there is no trusted trend in geopolitics, and India cannot depend on other countries for its security and to safeguard national interests.

Highlighting the emphasis being laid by the government on infrastructure development along the borders, the Defence Secretary exhorted the infrastructure firms to contribute in further strengthening the apparatus.

He added that while the armed forces are being provided with the latest weapons/equipment, the private sector should contribute to bolstering the infrastructure set-up in the border areas.

He referred to the Vibrant Villages programme which aims to motivate people to stay in their native locations in the border areas, and urged the firms to set up a separate section, within their respective organisations, which focuses on development in the far-flung areas.

Aramane also said that the DRDO is extending support to the private sector in research and development, and together they can come up with new innovations.

He called upon the industry to walk hand-in-hand with the government and focus more on the mass production of quality products in a time-bound manner.

The two-day national symposium was attended by representatives of armed Forces, academia, industry and DRDO, with an aim to foster dialogue, exchange knowledge and explore innovative approaches to address the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies in infrastructure development, in line with the vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.