New Delhi, May 21 -- Union minister Ajay Bhatt said Tuesday the strength of a country resides not only in its military might but also in its ability to adapt to changing circumstances and leverage its cultural heritage as a source of power.

The minister of state for defence was addressing an event at the National Museum here to mark the culmination of Project Udbhav, which aims to promote indigenous discourse in the Army by integrating India's ancient strategic acumen into a contemporary military domain with a focus on making the force "future-ready".

The project is a collaboration of the Indian Army and Delhi-based think-tank United Service Institution of India (USI).

Praising the Army and USI, Bhatt said, "The aim of this project envisioned by USI is to find invaluable insights into our strategic culture by finding ancient texts and oral traditions... The geopolitical landscape is continuously evolving and it is necessary for our armed forces to be adaptive and innovative in their thinking." In his address, the minister also praised the ancient Indian philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', which was part of the tagline used by India during its year-long presidency of the G20.

The Union minister said that in the last decade, the government of India has started a significant journey towards promoting indigenisation initiatives in various areas. From health to manufacturing and from basic infrastructure to defence, solid efforts have been made for a strong national commitment towards indigenisation, he added.

"Today, we are nearly atmanirbhar, we are progressing to become fully self-reliant in future. And, Project Udbhav is going to play an important role in this," the minister said.

"There is a need to honestly make efforts to imbibe Indian thoughts and values even in our works and decisions. The dream of 'Viksit Bharat' can only be realised when we fully understand the priceless wisdom of our ancient past and implement it contextually in shaping modern ambitions and policies," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.