Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday undertook a “first-hand on-ground assessment” of the operational preparedness of the armed forces deployed along the Line of Actual Control in Tawang bordering China and also celebrated Dussehra with the troops.

This is Singh’s second visit to Tawang in frontier Arunachal Pradesh this year since January 3.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be an extension of south Tibet and there have been frequent reports of transgressions.

Singh asserted in Tawang that there was no option but to bolster the country’s security apparatus in view of the current global scenario.

He said efforts were being made by the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "strengthen" the nation’s military prowess through indigenous production of defence equipment.

He said earlier, India used to rely on imports to upgrade its military, but now a number of major weapons and platforms were being manufactured within the country. He said foreign companies were being encouraged to share their technology and produce the equipment in India.

"In 2014, the value of defence exports was about Rs 1,000 crore, but today we are exporting defence equipment worth thousands of crores," he said.

Singh, who performed Shastra Puja with the troops in Tawang, expressed his gratitude to the spirit, commitment and courage of the troops who are deployed in tough conditions but always “ensure” that the nation and its people are safe.

Tawang is situated at an altitude of 3,500 metres above sea level.

“ The entire nation is proud of the armed forces and is standing with them,” Singh said, describing the righteousness of the brave armed forces personnel as a living testament to the ethos of the festival of Vijayadashmi.

He also visited the Tawang War Memorial where he laid a wreath and offered tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice during the 1962 Indo-China war.

Singh was accompanied by Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Eastern Command Lt Gen R.P. Kalita, GOC, 4 Corps Lt Gen Manish Erry and other senior army officers.

The defence minister pointed out that the “valour and commitment” of the armed forces is one of the main reasons why India’s “stature has grown” on the international stage and it is now among the most powerful nations.

Citing his recent tour to Italy, he said that he paid a visit to Montone memorial (Perugia Province), which has been built to honour the contribution of Naik Yaswant Ghadge and other Indian soldiers who fought in the Italian campaign to liberate Montone in World War II.

Singh had on Monday visited 4 Corps headquarters at Tezpur in Assam and reviewed the operational readiness of the formation, which is deployed in one of the easternmost parts of the country.

Singh's visit to Tawang in January followed a clash between the Chinese and Indian troops along the LAC at Yangtse on December 9.

Singh had then inaugurated 28 bridge and road projects to boost the movement and operational efficiency of the defence forces deployed on the border along China.