Pune: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends DRDO's artillery exhibition

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], October 16 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday attended the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) artillery exhibition in Pune, where he reviewed key indigenous defence technologies developed under India's self-reliance push.
The exhibition featured several advanced systems, including the Indian light tank 'Zorawar', the Unexploded Ordnance handling robot (UXOR), the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system, the AKASH-New Generation mobile launcher system, and the 155 mm/52 calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS).
Prior to attending the exhibition, the Defence Minister witnessed the firing of the 10 MJ Electromagnetic (EM) Railgun, developed by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), which highlights India's growing capabilities in next-generation weapon systems.
Earlier in the day, while addressing the convocation ceremony of Symbiosis Skills and Professional University in Pune, the Defence Minister described Operation Sindoor as "living proof of India's self-reliance" and lauded the Indian Armed Forces for their bravery and decisive action during the operation.
"Operation Sindoor in itself is a living proof of our self-reliance. During Operation Sindoor, the valour displayed by our armed forces was witnessed by the entire world. The significant thing is that during Operation Sindoor, our forces used a large amount of equipment made in India," Singh said.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. Operation Sindoor hit the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. Indian Armed Forces also effectively repelled subsequent Pakistani aggression and pounded its airbases.
Following India's strong response, the Pakistani DGMO approached his Indian counterpart for the cessation of hostilities. Additionally, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also highlighted the BJP government's focus on self-reliance in the Indian defence sector.
"The conditions in the defence sector that existed since independence, we have changed it. We emphasised that India will manufacture weapons for its soldiers within the country itself. Things were very adverse for us. But we did not give up. We made every possible effort to boost Defence manufacturing. And we started seeing positive results from our efforts," he said.
The exhibition is part of a broader initiative by DRDO to display indigenous defence capabilities developed under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' mission. (ANI)