Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that in the coming years, the Defence and aerospace sectors will be the two important pillars for making India ‘Atmanirbhar’ and that by 2025 the country’s Defence manufacturing scale would cross $25 billion.

“India with ‘Make-in-India, Make for the World’ approach is enhancing its strength further,” he said. Modi was addressing the gathering in Vadodara after laying the foundation stone of the manufacturing facility for the production of C-295 medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) by a consortium of aerospace major Airbus and the Tata Group at a cost of `22,000 crore.

Modi, who is on a three-day tour to Rajasthan and Gujarat, where elections will be announced in the next few days, said that ‘Made-in-India passenger planes would soon be a reality as his Government had helped increase the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the country. The Prime Minister has been launching a slew of developmental projects across poll-bound Gujarat over the last few months. His ongoing visit will be no different. He is also scheduled to address BJP workers across all 182 Assembly constituencies.

The inauguration of the C-295 aircraft manufacturing plant was attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer and Tata Sons Chairperson N Chandrasekaran. “The Defence corridors being established in States like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would power the Defence exports.

The earlier Government believed that India should focus on being a service industry. But today, we are progressing in the service industry as well as emerging as the largest manufacturing sector of the world,” he said.

Listing the achievements of his Government, Modi said, “From semiconductors to aircraft, India is working to reach the top spot across different manufacturing sectors. Within the last eight years, companies from more than 160 countries have invested in all Indian States.”

Hailing India’s progress in both the service sector and manufacturing sector, Modi said, the Government is giving equal importance to the public and private sectors. “India is working with a new mindset and new work culture to create schemes that boost our manufacturing sector,” he said.

Modi lauded the new economic reforms saying that they are transforming the manufacturing sector in India. “Along with this, a change in perspective is playing a vital role in expanding businesses. New India focuses on a competitive environment while ensuring quality in the production sector,” he said and attacked  the previous Congress Government at the Centre, saying, “The earlier Government’s mindset did not have trust in the talent of Indians.”

Referring to the aircraft project, Modi said more than 100 MSME suppliers will be associated with this project. “The UDAN scheme has also given our aviation sector a big boost. In the coming years, India will require over 2,000 aircraft. Today we have taken a step towards meeting this global demand,” he said.

“India will create its identity as a global aviation hub. The transport aircraft that will be manufactured here will not only give power to our Army but also develop a new ecosystem of manufacturing aircraft. Soon, India will witness the passenger aircraft that will be made with the tag of ‘Make In India’,” announced the Prime Minister.

On Monday, he would pay homage to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Statue of Unity, Kevadia,on his birth  anniversary. He will also participate in the National Unity Day celebrations to mark Patel’s birth anniversary and address a gathering.

In the afternoon, he will visit Tharad town in Banaskantha district to inaugurate or perform ground-breaking for various projects in this parched region, mostly related to water supply, worth Rs 8,000 crore. Some of these projects include water distribution pipelines, construction of a canal and construction of 56 check dams.

On November 1, Modi will attend an event at Mangadh Hill in neighbouring Rajasthan and then reach Jambughoda in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district to launch various developmental projects.

Modi will also address people at the venue.