“We should be proud of the soldiers who laid down their lives for our motherland. We should be proud of them.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Since when has the Congress become protector of judiciary? Do I have to remind how Indira Gandhi treat the judiciary when one verdict went against them? Rajeev Gandhi in 1988 almost brought the bill, and during that phase, how many cases were filed against the media? And their son and grandson is talking about press freedom.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We will ensure that the important characters of what make ‘Make in India’ an important flagship programme for PM Modi is given full play for defence production. ‘Make in India’ needs to take over so we benefit from what is manufactured in India and finds an international market.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“There is something different between defence deal and deal in defence.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Many countries which are no longer able to afford their public health systems, which have made certain promises within their countries to purchase from free market or from other economies, are approaching us seeking help with the supply of generic drugs, which is opening a very big room of opportunity for us.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“It is the duty of the Defence Ministry and the forces to keep India safe.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“With South East Asian nations, ASEAN countries, with some of them, we do have defence cooperation, and we continue with them.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We want our exports to perform better. We want more exports. We want to reach out to more countries selling our products, and for that, a weaker rupee will be anytime better.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“A border is a border. I have to be conscious of both my borders. I will also have be conscious of my sea. It is less talked about.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“WTO is the only multilateral system in which developed and developing countries sit together at par.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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?”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Nobody has a right to call me or the prime minister a thief and a liar.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I am saying this with a certain sense of confidence and not arrogance. The defence ministry is being run without any middleman and in a transparent way. We have proved that defence procurement can happen without middlemen.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“It’s one thing to get the money apportioned in the budget; the other is to utilise it completely.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Most of the expressions we use in economics are relative terms. All of us are votaries of free trade.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The narrative related to economics is, I think, very well understood even by the common man.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I will be the defence minister round-the-clock.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“It will be a priority for me to ensure the smooth and speedy implementation of defence deals and projects.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We are a party which believes that we work in the national interest, not just to please my opposition.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Bilaterals are like building blocks for multilaterals.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“If exporters are looking at various factors which influence the performance, the fluctuating rupee will certainly be a factor.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“For a country like India, which, unlike China, has domestic market for which manufacturing happens, manufacturing also happens for export.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Obviously, defence is very sensitive and very challenging ministry.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We have heard the Chinese refer to the Shangri-La Dialogue speech at various points. You have a lot of articulations about the top leadership itself about what is the spirit of India-China relations. There is a very clear understanding between the two countries about the defence relationship.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Guess ‘Make in India’ means I have to support India, whether private or public.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“In a multi-party democracy, many issues which you want – or do not want – will be raised. It is for us to make it relevant or not so relevant with our answers.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“In defence, ‘Make in India’ is happening in a big way, and it is not happening without orders coming from the ministry.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Delhi was not completely a new place for me, but as a political worker, it was a new place.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Much to my surprise, not a moment have I been made to feel, ‘Alright, a woman – probably the prime minister wanted to make a token gesture.’ The ease with which people have taken this thought of a woman minister has been a great strength for me and has made my job far easier.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“A new procurement policy had to be brought in 2016. Subsequent to it, procurement has gone up rapidly.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I respect the Forces… but civil services also have a contribution to make. They are there to bridge administration with Forces. They are critical, and I give credit to them. I don’t claim to have done miracles in bridging it, but I have just said the two lines can go parallel.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Post globalisation, the debate has been, ‘How much more are we going to liberalise?’”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“It’s only under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership that the country can foresee a bright future.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The language of any joint statement between two countries is mulled over many times before it becomes final.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The government doesn’t go about refuting everything that floats around.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“People have realised that for want of anything substantial, the Congress is using Rafale to question the government. But people are not responding or reacting positively to them. They’ve had enough of this muck-raking.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“France has been maintaining a very special relationship with India on defence matters.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The first thing I have done for the Tejas is that their capacity to annually produce eight aircraft has now been increased to 16. I have doubled it. For which we have given enough support, we have told them that if they need additional space for testing and trials, we are willing to give it.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“DRDO should introspect to make themselves more nimble towards innovation.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Bofors was a scam. Rafale is not.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“There are several areas where the border is not completely defined and demarcated.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“None of us should play party to any corporate warfare. We cannot become pawns in the hands of corporate giants’ warfare to constantly bully the government, to throw misinformation to the public, tell part-truth and part-story to the public.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I understand that the rupee is fairly market determined.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The strategy of any party would be to see how best it can defeat the party in power.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Our manufacturing in India has grown with a lot of indigenous strength.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“For me, representing India, as much as I can give, I need reciprocal things to be given to me. If I am willing to offer tariff concessions on goods, I want something to be offered by them to boost India’s services.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Issues related to investor-state disputes are a matter of serious concern. It is something which we have to apply our minds to.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Shouldn’t India, too, like other countries, protect its national interests?”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I don’t think I have suffered for want of being a Cabinet minister. I don’t have a Cabinet minister to whom I report. I report directly to the Prime Minister.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Free trade agreements are never for one sector alone.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“I would love to help the textile sector, but at the same time, a big red flag is held by the automotive parts and automotive sector. They don’t want to open up to the European Union.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“You can’t hold the armed forces responsible for being firm with terrorists. We need to be firm with terrorists.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Unlike some of our neighbours, India does not believe in dirty bombs. We take non-proliferation very seriously.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We value our relationship with U.S.A. and are engaged with them at various levels.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We want to ensure that food is traded better, farmers get a better price, and consumers are able to access it at affordable prices.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The government’s intention is to function, to have debates in Parliament, and to work in the interest of the people.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The BJP does not intend to use Parliament to project Congress’s corruption.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“In India, elections happen every year in at least a few states.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“We look at gold from the view of the Indian market, which loves to buy more and more gold.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“The Rafale deal narrative that the Congress is setting is a propaganda that has international ramifications.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“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.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“PM Modi’s belief in Direct Benefit Transfer was force enough to give the necessary impetus for its efficient implementation.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
“Bringing in timely laws that are the need of the hour requires nimbleness to get through the necessary legislative processes.”
― Nirmala Sitharaman
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