Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who undertook a sortie on a Tejas aircraft here, said the experience has bolstered his confidence in the country's indigenous capabilities, while lauding the Air Force, Defence Research & Development Organisation, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, for their committed role in the development of the aircraft.
The PM said, "Successfully completed a sortie on the Tejas."
"The experience was incredibly enriching, significantly bolstering my confidence in our country's indigenous capabilities, and leaving me with a renewed sense of pride and optimism about our national potential," he wrote in English from his personal social media handle, which is verified and has a follower base of over 93 million users.
"Flying in Tejas today, I can say with immense pride that due to our hard work and dedication, we are no less than anyone in the world in the field of self-reliance. Heartiest congratulations to the Indian Air Force, DRDO and HAL as well as all Indians," he wrote in a separate post, in Hindi with four more pictures from his preparation before flying and post-flying.
Modi arrived here for a visit to the Defence PSU HAL to review the ongoing work at its manufacturing facilities, as part of his push for indigenous production of defence products. He was highlighting how his government has boosted their manufacturing in India and also their exports, through this visit and the release of images from his Tejas sortie.