New airbase near Indo-Pak border will boost country\'s security: PM Modi

Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a new forward Deesa airbase in north Gujarat near the India-Pakistan border and asserted that now India is better prepared to respond to any misadventure on the western borders. After inaugurating the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Mr Modi released the fourth negative list under which, starting December, imports of 101 defence items, including next generation frigates, bullet proof security vehicles for the air force, mine countermeasure vessels, and automatic missile detection radar for ships, among others, will be progressively barred. Talking about the air base coming up at Deesa in Banaskantha, he said it will “emerge as an effective centre for the security of the country.” At the DefExpo’s India Pavilion, the Prime Minister unveiled the HTT-40, the indigenous trainer aircraft designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Mr n Turn to Modi said the decision of the Indian defence forces to buy a majority of the equipment made in the country shows the capacity of the “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Underlining the uniqueness of DefExpo 2022, the Prime Minister said, “This is the first defence expo where only Indian companies are participating and it features only Made in India equipment.” He said: “From the land of Iron Man, Sardar Patel, we are setting an example of the capabilities of India before the world.” The Expo has more than 1,300 exhibitors, including the Indian defence industry, some joint ventures associated with the Indian defence industry, MSMEs and more than 100 start-ups.