New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Emphasizing the country’s accelerating strides toward comprehensive self-reliance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday showcased a series of stellar indigenous breakthroughs across the naval, aerospace, and strategic missile sectors during his monthly radio address, Mann ki Baat. The Prime Minister asserted that these landmark achievements not only fortify national security infrastructure but also serve as powerful milestones that inspire collective national pride and advance the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Reflecting on his recent official visit to Kolkata, West Bengal, the Prime Minister highlighted the high-profile tri-commissioning of three indigenously designed and built warships—the advanced stealth frigate INS Dunagiri, the survey vessel INS Sanshodhak, and the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft INS Agray—at the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port. Constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers with over seventy-five percent indigenous component integration and active participation from over two-hundred domestic micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), Modi described the warships as shining symbols of India’s growing domestic manufacturing capabilities. He further lauded the historic maiden test flight of the first Made-in-India Airbus C-295 tactical military transport aircraft from the Tata-Airbus Final Assembly Line in Vadodara, Gujarat, noting that the domestic assembly of forty such aircraft by a private-sector consortium is providing a massive economic fillip to the domestic aerospace ecosystem. Additionally, the Prime Minister hailed the successful test-firing of an indigenous long-range cruise missile developed jointly by Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories and domestic industrial partners, reinforcing that the nation is becoming increasingly secure from the seas to the skies.
Beyond defense milestones, a significant portion of the address focused on global soft power and civic responsibilities. The Prime Minister praised the overwhelming international participation during the twelfth International Day of Yoga, which saw synchronized events organized across more than 2,500 locations worldwide. He extended his hearty congratulations to the Indian athletic contingent for comprehensively topping the medal standings at the inaugural World Yogasana Championships in Ahmedabad, where home athletes scripted history by capturing a staggering 114 medals, including 102 golds, in a bid to elevate Yogasana into a recognized competitive global Olympic discipline.
Addressing consumer behavior amid ongoing geopolitical instabilities and war-like conditions in West Asia, the Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the citizens for responding positively to his recent economic appeals. He thanked the public for actively adopting sustainable measures, such as curbing non-essential gold purchases, postponing international leisure holidays, opting for carpooling to optimize fuel reserves, and expanding chemical-free natural farming to strengthen domestic resource resilience. Highlighting inspiring community-led conservation, Modi praised biologist Purnima Devi Barman and her women-led “Hargila Army” in Assam for successfully shifting public perceptions and preserving the endangered Greater Adjutant stork. He further commended Nalanda University for reviving the ancient traditional intellectual practice of Shaastraarth (philosophical debates) within its modern academic curriculum. Looking ahead to the festive calendar, the Prime Minister urged citizens to purchase only eco-friendly clay idols crafted by indigenous artisans for the upcoming Ganesh Utsav, thereby protecting local river ecosystems while actively fueling the national “Vocal for Local” economic campaign.
