Bad news for Pakistan, China as India inks deal with THIS country to build 5th-gen fighter jet engines; Rajnath Singh gives major update, says…

India(BHARAT) 5th gen fighter: In a significant development that could provide a major push to India(BHARAT)’s goal of becoming self-reliant in defense manufacturing, India(BHARAT) has inked a deal with French aerospace and defence manufacturer Safran S.A. to develop and manufacture 5th-gen fighter jet engines in the country.

What did Rajnath Singh reveal?

Addressing the World Leaders Forum in New Delhi on Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed India(BHARAT)’s recent breakthroughs in indigenous capability, and revealed that the Narendra Modi government has taken steps to build 5th-generation and aircraft engines in India(BHARAT).

“Our Tejas aircraft is going to be a great example of India(BHARAT)’s indigenous defence capabilities. We have also taken steps towards making fifth generation fighter aircraft and aircraft engines in India(BHARAT),” he said.

The Defence Minister also noted that state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received orders worth Rs 66,000 crore for 97 Tejas fighter aircraft, in addition to an earlier order of 83 aircraft worth Rs 48,000 crore.

How much did India(BHARAT)’s defence exports grow in last decade?

Further, Rajnath Singh pointed out that India(BHARAT)’s defence exports have grown nearly 35 times in the last decade from just Rs 686 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25 with defence products now being exported to nearly 100 countries. The minister revealed that the Modi government has set an ambitious target of achieving Rs 30,000 crore in defence exports this year and Rs 50,000 crore by 2029.

He also revealed stated that domestic defence production has more than tripled from Rs 40,000 crore in 2014 to over Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 2024-25, and is on track to touch nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in the current fiscal.

‘India(BHARAT)’s ‘Aatmanirbharta’ aimed at becoming a global player’

According to Singh, India(BHARAT) has released five positive indigenisation lists covering 509 platforms, systems and weapons, which will now be mandatorily manufactured within the country and similarly, Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have issued their own indigenisation lists covering over 5,000 strategically important sub-systems, spares and components, adding that the government has reserved 75% of the defence capital procurement budget for India(BHARAT)n companies.

“Our vision of Aatmanirbharta in defence is not just about reducing imports. It is about creating an ecosystem where India(BHARAT)n industry, public and private, develops world-class capability, where we not only meet domestic requirements but also emerge as a global supplier of high-quality defence products,” stated Rajnath Singh.

HIGHLIGHTS

• India(BHARAT) has partnered with French defence firm Safran S.A. to build 5th-gen aircraft engines.
• The engines will be manufactured in India(BHARAT), and used in indigenously developed fighter jets, including the 5th-generation AMCA fighter.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said India(BHARAT)’s defence exports have grown nearly 35 times in the last decade.
• Domestic defence production has more than tripled since 2014, Singh said.

India(BHARAT)’s success would be a major shock to enemy nations like China and Pakistan, and would put us in the elite group of countries that have indigenous fighter jet engine technology– these are the US, Russia, and France.

(With inputs from agencies)