New Delhi, June 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took to social media to celebrate the remarkable strides made by India’s defence sector over the past 11 years, underlining the twin focus on modernisation and self-reliance.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote: “The last 11 years have marked significant changes in our defence sector, with a clear focus on both modernisation and becoming self reliant when it comes to defence production. It is gladdening to see how the people of India have come together with the resolve of making India stronger! #11YearsOfRakshaShakti”.

The post was part of a broader national campaign highlighting the transformation of India’s defence capabilities since 2014, coinciding with the beginning of PM Modi’s first term as the Prime Minister.

From being heavily import-dependent to becoming a notable arms exporter, India’s defence journey has seen a fundamental shift.

The Ministry of Defence and senior officials echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiment, praising the nation’s move towards indigenisation and innovation.

A post on X, from the Ministry of Defence, elaborated on this transformation, stating: “Over the past 11 years, under PM @narendramodi’s visionary leadership, India’s defence sector has transformed from import-dependent to a global exporter, powered by #AatmanirbharBharat & #MakeInIndia. Indigenous innovations like #brahmosmissile & advanced submarines have fortified our security and global standing. Defence exports now reach 100+ countries, marking a historic rise in #selfreliance. As we celebrate #11YearsOfRakshaShakti, we salute the strides toward a safer, stronger India.”

Key milestones during this period include the record growth in defence exports, which have surpassed Rs 21,000 crore in recent years, the successful deployment of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, the commissioning of indigenous aircraft carriers like INS Vikrant, and the development of homegrown fighter jets like the HAL Tejas.

The celebration of ’11Years of Raksha Shakti’ underscores the government’s emphasis on reducing dependency on foreign suppliers and promoting indigenous defence production under flagship initiatives like Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.

Mumbai, June 10: The Mumbai Police’s Kurar unit have busted a gang of robbers and arrested four accused, said officials here on Tuesday.

During police interrogation, it was revealed that the accused are history sheeters. The gang also had a woman member.

One of the accused, Abdul Ansari alias Appu Khota, a resident of Goregaon East, has more than 47 robbery cases registered against him. The other three accused have been identified as Deepali Bhul alias Deepali Sharma, Suraj Jadhav and Akash Pawar.

The officials said that the accused, Suraj Jadhav, is an auto-rickshaw driver living in the Malad area. He used to provide information to the other accused about which houses were locked.

The gang would then target and rob those empty houses. Appu Khota is the main accused who guided his associates, said the officials.

Several cases have been registered against him at the Aarey, Dindoshi and Kurar police stations, as well as other police stations.

He has also been convicted in a previous case, according to a police officer. Khota, however, never mended his ways and continued to commit crimes.

In the particular case registered at the Kurar police, the gang stole gold ornaments and Rs 4.72 lakh cash.

According to the police, the complainant, 38-year-old Najeer Khan, resides in Malad East. The robbery occurred between May 30 and June 6, when Khan and his family were not at home and the house was locked.

The thieves broke the lock and stole 100 grams of gold ornaments, 240 grams of silver ornaments, and cash worth Rs 4.72 lakh.

After returning home, Khan found the house broken into and filed a complaint, following which the police got into action.

The police arrested the four, and after interrogation, all the stolen ornaments and cash were recovered.

The accused were arrested on June 8, and the court remanded them to police custody until June 10.

New Delhi, June 9: Government sources and foreign policy experts on Monday debunked certain reports and claims made by some opposition leaders about a Saudi Arabia visa halt restricting travellers from 14 countries, including India, asserting that the temporary decision would not affect the sturdy relationship between both nations.

Saudi Arabia’s decision to temporarily halt Umrah, business, and family visit visas for 14 countries, including India, from April to June 2025 to manage the massive Haj crowds and ensure safety, was even labelled as a “steady collapse of India’s foreign policy” by some opposition leaders.

However, government sources have made it clear that the suspension is a result of logistical, not political, compulsions as restrictions have been imposed on granting short-term visas to avoid overcrowding during the Haj season.

Nationals of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen holding or applying for a Saudi visit visa for business, tourism and family visits cannot enter Saudi Arabia until a temporary entry restriction is over, which could last until the end of June when the Haj season is expected to end. This latest measure follows additional restrictions introduced in February 2025, which limits one-year multiple-entry visas for business, tourism, and family visits for the same group of nationalities.

Saudi authorities, which strictly controls Haj, have stated that multiple-entry visas were being misused. Some travellers entered the country on long-term visas but remained illegally for work or performed Haj without proper authorization.

The over-crowding has also become a serious issue due to unauthorised pilgrims using long-term visit visas to bypass restrictions. This issue became particularly alarming in June 2024 when over 1300 pilgrims died due to overcrowding and extreme heat as temperatures exceeded 50 degree Celsius. Saudi authorities believe unregistered pilgrims significantly contributed to the crisis, necessitating tighter visa regulations. By restricting travel to single-entry visas, the Saudi government aims to ensure that only authorized pilgrims perform Haj, reducing risks associated with unregulated attendance.

Saudi Arabia has called this suspension a temporary measure, but no timeline has been provided for a review. The Saudi government will monitor the impact before making further decisions.

Despite such temporary restrictions, the Saudi government remains focused on expanding tourism with India under the Vision 2030 initiative. The bilateral trade between the two countries touched USD $43.36 billion in FY-2023-24. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country last month, India and Saudi Arabia signed USD $100 billion worth of agreements in energy, infrastructure, security, and innovation sectors, strengthening bilateral trade and investment relations.

India’s fifth-largest trading partner, Saudi Arabia continues to align its economic priorities amidst global market turbulence and energy realignments.

Highlighting India’s rising global stature, experts also point out the country’s emergence as a “Vishwa Bandhu” in a divided world.

They recalled that India’s G20 Presidency in November 2023 was a reflection, recommitment and rejuvenation of the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. Under its Presidency, India sought to offer the world an alternative to the status quo, a shift from a GDP-centric to human-centric progress.

PM Modi has stated that India’s growing profile is due to its cultural image, growing capabilities, and foreign policy.

On the other hand, Beijing and Islamabad’s repeated attempts to seize opportunity to reassert their self-assigned roles have been rejected by the international community, time and again.

Pakistan’s desperate efforts to include strong anti-India references on Kashmir at the 19th Conference of the Parliamentary Union of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Member States in Jakarta last month also failed miserably.

In the following weeks, India’s Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach, for the first time in independent India’s history, delivered a clear message to Pakistan that its support for cross-border terrorism would no longer be tolerated and would be met with a strong military response.

The visits were marked by high-level engagements as several top leaders across the world backed India’s resolute commitment to the policy of zero tolerance on the issue of cross-border terrorism.