India’s first full-time woman Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman formally assumed charge of the ministry Thursday.

“I will be the Defense Minister round-the-clock,” 58-year-old Sitharaman told the media after taking over from her predecessor, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who held the additional charge of the defense portfolio for the past five months.

Spelling out her priorities, the new defense minister said she would ensure armed forces preparedness, speedy implementation of defense deals and defense production with focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.

“It will be a priority for me to ensure the smooth and speedy implementation of defence deals and projects,” Sitharaman said.

“Make in India needs to take over so we benefit from what’s manufactured in India and finds an international market,” she added.

Sitharaman was elevated as defense minister, one of the top four ministries, in the last cabinet reshuffle by Modi earlier this month. She was earlier India’s commerce minister.

Though she is the first full-time woman defense minister, Sitharaman is, however, the second woman to hold charge of the ministry since Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman prime minister who had held the defense portfolio for some time.