Raisen (MP): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday hailed India’s economy as the world’s most “dashing and dynamic,” asserting that its rapid rise is unsettling some nations with a “we are everyone’s boss” mindset. His remarks came against the backdrop of high tariffs recently imposed by US President Donald Trump on Indian imports.
Speaking after performing the bhoomi pujan for a Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) rail coach manufacturing unit in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, Singh said no global power can stop India’s march towards becoming a major force.
“Today, if any country has a dashing and dynamic economy, it is India. In 2014, we were 11th in the world, and now we are among the top four,” he noted, adding that India’s progress means its people are also moving forward.
Without naming anyone, Singh claimed that some nations cannot digest India’s growth and are trying to make Indian-made goods more expensive overseas to reduce their competitiveness.
Highlighting progress in defence manufacturing, he recalled that before 2014, India largely imported defence equipment. Now, he said, many such items are produced domestically—not only meeting national needs but also being exported worldwide.
“When Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014, our defence exports were just ₹600 crore. Today, we export over ₹24,000 crore worth of products. This is the power of the new India,” Singh said.
Referring to the April terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, Singh said India responded firmly through Operation Sindoor.
“We do not kill based on religion—we act against wrongdoers for their deeds. And our stand is clear: we will not spare anyone who provokes us,” he asserted.
On the new rail coach facility, Singh described it as a “big gift” for the Raisen and Vidisha regions, expected to create 5,000 jobs. Madhya Pradesh, he said, is rapidly industrialising, with recent investment proposals exceeding ₹30 lakh crore.
The BEML unit—named BRAHMA (BEML Rail Hub for Manufacturing)—will be built at a cost of ₹1,800 crore in Umaria village, with an initial annual capacity of 125–200 coaches, aiming to reach 1,100 in five years.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and other dignitaries attended the bhoomi pujan ceremony at Obedullaganj, where a video message from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also played.
