Berlin [Germany], April 22 (ANI): Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on his three-day visit to Germany, attended the Indian community event on Wednesday held at the Indian Embassy in Berlin, and interacted with the Indian Diaspora.

In a post, X, Rajnath Singh called the Indian diaspora of Germany the 'Living Bridge' between India and Germany. He also underlined India's rapid economic growth and technological progress, including areas like infrastructure, startups, space, and digital innovation.

The Defence Minister said, 'Delighted to interact with the members of Indian community in Berlin. The Indian diaspora is the Living Bridge between India and Germany and it has evolved into a strong force in the recent years. During my interaction, I underlined India's rapid economic growth and technological progress including areas like infrastructure, startups, space, and digital innovation.'

https://x.com/rajnathsingh/status/2046793327216070899

Earlier on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not merely a procurement programme; it is an invitation to co-create, co-develop, and co-innovate, as he made a strong pitch for enhanced collaborations between the defence industrial ecosystems of India and Germany.

Addressing the German Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security on Day-1 of his three-day visit to the European nation, Defence Minister asserted that the world today is faced with new security threats, and the technological transformation has made the situation highly complex and intricately connected. A new approach with the willingness to adapt to the changing environment is the need of the hour, he said.

Defence Minister asserted that India, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is witnessing an unprecedented transformation in the defence sector, and increased partnerships with the German industry can yield significant mutual gains.

'We recognise the established strengths of Germany's leading industrial enterprises, while also admiring the vigour and dynamism of the renowned German Mittelstand (small & medium-sized companies) in advanced and emerging technologies. In India too, our start-ups and enterprising private companies are rapidly enhancing and complementing the capabilities of our larger and established defence enterprises. This is an area where India and Germany naturally complement each other, and our partnership can deepen further,' Singh said.

To deal with modern-day global challenges, Rajnath Singh underscored the need for coordinated responses and trusted strategic partnerships. 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have placed strong emphasis on advancing this strategic partnership. We also see a clear convergence of views at the European Union level, reflected in the growing momentum to engage with India, including through the India-EU Defence and Strategic Partnership,' he said.

The Defence Minister is currently on a 3-day visit (April 21-23) to Germany.

Upon his arrival from Munich to Berlin, the Defence Minister was welcomed at the Berlin Airport with military honours. He was flown in a Special German Air Force aircraft, escorted by fighter jets, during his flight from Munich to Berlin. (ANI)