Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urges Indian youth to drive shipbuilding and maritime self‑reliance

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship students at the commissioning of INS Mahendragiri in Visakhapatnam, urging them to help build India’s maritime future. He said there has never been a better time for domestic talent to contribute to defence, emphasizing that new warships generate a wider industrial ecosystem that creates millions of jobs and fuels technological innovation.

Singh highlighted government initiatives such as the Maritime Development Fund, the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme and the Shipbuilding Development Scheme, all part of the ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’. He also promoted the development of a “Drone Hub” in Kurnool, likening it to Surat’s Diamond City and Bengaluru’s Silicon Valley, and reaffirmed India’s goal to become a global centre for shipbuilding and maritime defence innovation.