Kamal Ghorui
Addressing German parliamentarians in Berlin, Rajnath Singh on Tuesday beckoned the industry there, saying “Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not merely a procurement programme, it is an invitation to co-create, co-develop, and co-innovate”.Upon his arrival in Germany, Rajnath was welcomed at the Berlin airport with military honours. He was flown in a special German Air Force aircraft, escorted by fighter jets, during his flight from Munich to Berlin. During his three-day visit, Rajnath is set to hold talks with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, and other senior leaders.Addressing the German parliamentary standing committee, Rajnath made a strong pitch for enhanced collaborations between defence industrial ecosystems of the two countries. He asserted that the “world today is faced with new security threats, and the technological transformation has made the situation highly complex and intricately connected. A new approach with the willingness to adapt to the changing environment is the need of the hour”.Pointing out that India is witnessing an unprecedented transformation in the defence sector, he said increased partnerships with the German industry can yield significant mutual gains. “We recognise the established strengths of Germany’s leading industrial enterprises, while also admiring the vigour and dynamism of the renowned German Mittelstand (small & medium-sized companies) in advanced and emerging technologies. In India too, our start-ups and enterprising private companies are rapidly enhancing and complementing the capabilities of our larger and established defence enterprises. This is an area where India and Germany naturally complement each other, and our partnership can deepen further,” he said.To deal with modern-day global challenges, Rajnath underscored the need for coordinated responses and trusted strategic partnerships. “PM Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Mr Friedrich Merz have placed strong emphasis on advancing this strategic partnership. We also see a clear convergence of views at the EU level, reflected in the growing momentum to engage with India, including through the India–EU Defence and Strategic Partnership,” he said.He said India and Germany are not only strategic partners, but also consequential voices in shaping the global discourse of the present times. “We are established democracies bound by shared values, and dynamic economies driven by resilience, innovation, and a determined industrial spirit. As lawmakers and esteemed members of the committee, your guidance, voice, and support can further strengthen and enrich the future course of our defence and strategic cooperation.”Rajnath pointed out that the current geopolitical instability can no longer be viewed as regional matters. Their consequences are global in scope, he said, describing them as not localised disturbances, but serious developments with far-reaching implications for energy security, food security, and global economic stability, apart from the immense humanitarian cost they entail.
