By Ankit Panda
India’s new defense minister, Manohar Parrikar, has set out an ambitious agenda for India’s defense.
As we covered recently on The Pulse, the Indian government finally appointed a full-time defense minister after having Arun Jaitley split that crucial portfolio with his responsibilities as finance minister. The new defense minister, Manohar Parrikar, is a former chief minister and comes to the Indian defense ministry at a time when the country is looking to modernize its armed forces, build up indigenous weapons research and development programs, and manage increasingly complicated relations with China and Pakistan. During his first week on the job, Parrikar has highlighted a broad set of priorities for his ministry and also made some notable statements about what he views as India’s primary defense concerns.
For Parrikar, the primary priority for India’s defense ministry over the next three years will be building up the country’s capabilities. He told the Indian press in an interview on Wednesday that the country should not overly concern itself with Pakistani or Chinese provocation, but focus instead on fast-tracking defense purchases and investing in arms development. ”I have realized that if someone properly heads the defense ministry, then we need not worry about Pakistan and China. We are strong enough…we have to build our capability over the next two-three years,” Parrikar told the press. ”We need to provide the armed forces the required logistical support. Prime Minister [Modi] has given me the responsibility to provide all the support to defense forces. I am feeling more responsible because the defense deals are worth Rs one lakh crore [$16 billion],” he added.
Read the full story at The Diplomat