Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that security forces have a big role in maintaining peace and keeping India`s borders safe at a time of rising global expectations from the country, as he flew to Lepcha in Himachal Pradesh to spend his Diwali with soldiers.

Keeping with his annual practice of spending time with personnel of the armed forces on Diwali, Modi also asserted that India is fast emerging as a big global player in the defence sector and the capabilities of its security forces are constantly rising. Global circumstances are such that the expectations from India are also constantly rising, the prime minister said.