Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for what he described as 'historic achievements' in India's drive toward self-reliance in the defence sector. In a post on X, the senior BJP leader spotlighted the country's rising defence exports, indigenous systems development and the reach of Indian military equipment to more than 100 countries.

'Under the leadership of respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, India has achieved historic milestones in the direction of self-reliance in the defence sector,' Choudhary wrote in Hindi. He framed the journey from 'Make in India' to 'Make for the World' as proof of New India's 'growing strategic capability and global prestige', tagging the post with #12YearsOfSeva, #AtmanirbharBharat and #MakeInIndia.

Context

The message lands as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party marks twelve years of the Modi-led government at the Centre, a milestone reflected in the hashtag #12YearsOfSeva. Defence indigenisation has been a recurring talking point for the party, used to project continuity of policy and a narrative of strategic ascent.

Choudhary, who serves as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and is among the BJP's most prominent state-level voices, has frequently amplified central government themes alongside state-specific messaging. The defence post fits a broader pattern of state leaders aligning with the Centre's flagship campaigns ahead of high-profile political seasons.

Policy backdrop

The Make in India initiative was launched in September 2014 with a dedicated defence manufacturing vertical aimed at reducing import dependence and building domestic capacity. It was followed by the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, announced in May 2020, whose five-tranche package included specific provisions for indigenous defence production and procurement reform.

Successive governments have set rising export targets through the decade, including a stated goal of ₹35,000 crore in annual defence exports announced in 2022. Procurement procedure updates and the rollout of defence production corridors have anchored the policy push, alongside a phased shift in language from import substitution to global supply.

Stakeholders and impact

The principal beneficiaries of the policy arc are India's domestic defence manufacturers — both public sector units and a growing tier of private firms — and the armed forces, which are expected to source a greater share of platforms locally. Export growth, if sustained, would diversify the customer base for Indian-made systems and embed strategic ties with partner nations.

For the BJP politically, the indigenisation story doubles as a governance metric. Statements like Choudhary's link a national-security achievement directly to the Prime Minister's stewardship, a framing the party has used consistently across the 2014, 2019 and 2024 general election cycles.

What's next

Attention will turn to forthcoming editions of DefExpo and Aero India, the country's flagship defence showcases, where new export contracts and indigenous platforms are typically unveiled. Parliamentary scrutiny of the defence budget and any further revisions to the Defence Procurement Procedure will also indicate whether the export trajectory matches the rhetoric.

For Choudhary and the BJP's state leadership, expect continued amplification of central achievements through the #12YearsOfSeva campaign — a messaging exercise that knits state-level political capital to the Centre's signature policy claims.