With South East Asian nations, ASEAN countries, with some of them, we do have defence cooperation, and we continue with them.
In defence, 'Make in India' is happening in a big way, and it is not happening without orders coming from the ministry.
PM Modi believes in detailed planning through extensive consultation. He is an example as a listener - no interruptions, no urgent phone calls, no distractions; he absorbs every input. He doesn't hesitate to say he needs more inputs, another round of briefing, or more time to mull over.
It's only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership that the country can foresee a bright future.
Bilaterals are like building blocks for multilaterals.
A buyer can buy anything from wherever he gets it cheap. Where will the Indian trader or farmer go in this case? Are we ready to see people sitting with their product and no international retailer wanting to buy from them?
The government took a decision to implement 'One Rank, One Pension' for defence personnel in 2015 and promised to pay arrears in four instalments. I can say that all OROP arrears have been cleared, with over Rs 10,788 crore being spent.
Major reforms include optimisation of the Signals establishments, restructuring of repair echelons, redeployment of ordnance echelons, better utilisation of supply and transport echelons, besides closure of military farms, and Army postal establishments in peace locations.
On shipbuilding, on submarine building, warship building, coastal surveillance or small vessel building, we have both public and private sector. The capacities have really been scaled up, and the skill sets, hi-tech skill sets, have been acquired.
A lot of discussions and debates happen in our party. Isn't it good to have a democratically run party rather than a dynastic one? So obviously, discussions do happen, and they are for the good.
Having witnessed first-hand the prowess of the Western Fleet, I am confident that the Indian Navy is fully capable of defending the nation against any form of threat.
The government doesn't go about refuting everything that floats around.
Rupee fluctuation is not so significant compared with the other currencies. Fluctuations in currencies has been fairly steady. As the finance minister often says, fluctuation is the new normal.
Post globalisation, the debate has been, 'How much more are we going to liberalise?'
Dassault could not progress in the negotiations with HAL because if the aircraft were to be produced in India, a guarantee for the product to be produced was to be given. It is a big ticket item, and the IAF would want the guarantee for the jets. HAL was in no position to give the guarantee.
Even during negotiation with HAL, Dassault felt that the cost with which the HAL will produce will be far higher than the aircraft produced in France. That was the reality.
Every year, I have given Rs 20,000 crore worth of projects to HAL. But the previous UPA government gave just Rs 10,000 crore projects.
India lived in hopelessness, as the government was not responsive. It did not know what the poor needed. There was complete policy paralysis. Corruption was rampant, and terrorists used to play havoc in the country.
From the beginning of this century, for a decade as chief minister of Gujarat and for just over four years as India's PM, Modi has made an indelible mark in the annals of our history.
The challenge we face as a government is meeting expectations - not specific expectations, but the larger expectations: things that need to be changed and that Narendra Modi will do it as though he has a magic wand.
