Sitharaman advises defence shiyards to look for global markets

Panaji: Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that istead of pleading with Ministry of Defence for equipment manufacturing contracts shipyards should explore global markets. 

Speaking at a function organised to launch an offshore patrol vessel for Indian Coast Guard, she said Prime Minister Narendra Modi 's Make In India call was not aimed at manufacturing for local markets but it was aimed at promoting manufacturing for global markets and export.

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"There should definitely be an approach of competing globally. You have a market every where. Everywhere, where the Defence Minister of India or the Commerce Minister of India goes out, there is immense interest of buying from India, such things as offshore patrol vessels, speedboats for guarding the borders," she said. 

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Sitharaman said there were many countries in South East Asia  which had shown interest in purchasing equipments from India.

"Many of the south east Asian countries have really requested and shown interest in wanting to purchase from India what otherwise they would have gone for a Western producer," the defence minister said.(UNI)

• #Defence Minister
• #Nirmala Sitharaman
• #Ministry of Defence
• #shipyards
• #Indian Coast Guard