Lucknow, Oct 18: Every inch of Pakistan’s territory lies within range of BrahMos and what happened during Operation Sindoor was just a trailer, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Saturday, in a stern warning to Pakistan.
The operation proved that victory has become a habit for India, he said.
The Union minister, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, flagged off the first batch of BrahMos missiles manufactured at the BrahMos Aerospace unit in Sarojini Nagar here.
Singh described BrahMos as a symbol of India’s rising strength.
“BrahMos is not just a missile, it is proof of India’s strategic confidence. From the Army to the Navy and the Air Force, it has become a key pillar of our defence forces,” he said.
Singh asserted that India’s defence capabilities now serve as a powerful deterrent.
“Every inch of Pakistan’s territory lies within range of BrahMos. What happened during Operation Sindoor was just a trailer. It made Pakistan realise that if India could create Pakistan, then if the time comes… I need not say more, you all are wise enough,” he said.
Operation Sindoor proved that “victory is not just a small incident for us but it has become a habit”, he added.
Hailing Operation Sindoor, Singh said it instilled a new confidence among Indians and proved BrahMos’ effectiveness to the world.
“Maintaining this confidence is now our collective responsibility,” he said.
“The entire world now recognises India’s capability. BrahMos has strengthened our belief that India can turn its dreams into reality,” he said.
Under Operation Sindoor, Indian defence forces targeted terror infrastructure and defence installations in Pakistan in May, following an attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 that claimed 26 lives.
Indigenously developed BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles were used by India to destroy Pakistan’s air bases during the operation.
On the manufacturing of BrahMos at the Lucknow unit, Singh said the project symbolises India’s growing confidence and capability in defence manufacturing.
“Lucknow is not just my parliamentary constituency, it resides in my soul. Today, it has become a city of technology and industry, apart from culture and tradition.
“The successful production of BrahMos missiles here shows that what was once a dream has now become a reality. The project represents patience, hard work and determination,” he said.
Assuring direct employment to hundreds of people, Singh said that it is estimated that around 100 missile systems will be provided annually to the Army, Air Force and Navy from here. In the next financial year, the turnover of this unit will reach Rs 3,000 crore, which will generate GST revenue of Rs 500 crore.
Highlighting the capabilities of BrahMos, he said that BrahMos is not just a missile, but a symbol of India’s growing indigenous strength.
While appreciating Adityanath, he said that “We all know that Uttar Pradesh was once identified with gangsterism and broken law and order. People lived in an atmosphere of fear and investors were afraid to come here. But today, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this situation has changed. His firm leadership and policy decisions have restored confidence in the state.”
Singh said that today we are all celebrating the festival of Dhanteras and on this auspicious day four Brahmos missiles are also being delivered. “In a way we can say that today the grace of Lakshmi ji is showering not only on the security sector but also on the economy equally.”
He said that in the past one month, the BrahMos team has signed contracts worth around Rs 4,000 crore with two countries.
Adityanath said under the Defence Industrial Corridor, “Uttar Pradesh is emerging as a major hub of indigenous defence manufacturing. The BrahMos unit is a shining example of that”.
With a missile like BrahMos, India is now not only able to meet its own security needs but also those of its allies in the world, he said.
Adityanath said his government is committed to supporting projects which strengthen national security and create new employment opportunities and technical expertise in the region.
Yogi said that today the state has received GST of Rs 40 crore from Director General BrahMos.
“100 BrahMos missiles will be made every year, which will increase to 150, then 150-200 crore GST will be available to the state.
“The land of Lucknow, is fulfilling the security of the country and strengthening the economy of the state,” he said.
According to an official statement, during the event, Singh and Adityanath also inaugurated the booster building, which is an important step towards capacity expansion of the BrahMos project.
Also, both of them saw a demonstration of the booster docking process. Airframe and avionics, PDI (Pre-Dispatch Inspection) in warhead building and presentation of BrahMos simulator equipment were also shown in this sequence.
Apart from this, Singh and Adityanath planted Rudraksh saplings in the premises. During this, storage trolley demonstration and mobile autonomous launcher were also demonstrated.
Inaugurated on May 11, the state-of-the-art BrahMos Aerospace unit houses all modern facilities for missile integration, testing and final quality checks. After successful testing, the missiles are prepared for deployment by the Indian armed forces. (PTI)
