India can become self sufficient in defence manufacturing: Modi

New Delhi: BJP leader Narendra Modi on Sunday said Indian scientists are “our strength” and they will help shape the future in this “knowledge era”, while greeting the nation and the community of scientists on National Technology Day. [caption id=“attachment_1517933” align=“alignleft” width=“300”]  Narendra Modi. AFP.[/caption] “Our scientists are our strength and will help shape our future in this Knowledge Era with both defence and civilian impact,” the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate wrote on Twitter. “Today, we should think on how India can become self sufficient in defence manufacturing. How can we strengthen R&D in defence sector,” he added. Adding that the day marks the anniversary of the Pokhran tests of 1998, Modi said the tests were a “victory of technology” and the “nation’s will power”. “Under Atal (Bihari Vajpayee), India scripted a new chapter in our history and gave a strong message to the world with the success of the tests in Pokhran. NDA’s foreign policy also ensured that those nations opposed to India testing gradually developed strong ties with India in various fields,” he adde. IANS