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India to build strong defense industry: Modi

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said India will build a strong defense industry which gives room for public, private and foreign players to invest and develop.

Addressing an air show in the southern city Bangalore, Modi also said it was important to modernize India's defense forces and increase preparedness.

Inaugurating the 10th edition of the Aero India 2015, Modi said India has to equip for the needs of the future, where technology will play a major role.

Modi said the government was focusing on developing India's defense industry with a sense of "mission", making it at the heart of the Make in India program, a brain child of the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

"Have introduced significant reforms in our offsets policy. I am acutely aware that it still needs a lot of improvements. Will pursue them," he added.

Modi also praised the world arms industrialists to support India by participating in the air show, one of the biggest in the world.

Numerous American, European, Russian and Israeli arms companies are participating in the annual show. Endi