TIA NEWS /
India’s biggest ever Defence Expo began at Naqueri Quitol in South Goa today. The four day exhibition will showcase defence equipment, machinery and weaponry from more than thousand companies from the worlds defence production and displaying the capabilities of India’s defence products with indigenous innovation, research and manufacture.
Nearly 500 foreign companies including those from Russia, United States, Germany, Israel are showcasing their wares in a big way as India is the world’s biggest importer of defence equipment machinery and weaponry. However, with the new emphasis on Make in India the impetus is turned towards investments in India with collaborations and technology sharing and training leading to Indigenization the defence production. Even the small and medium industries are being roped in in making Indian entrepreneurship defence oriented.
Inaugurating Defence Expo. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that the Expo would display what India could do in the field of Defence production. Parrikar announced that the Defence Ministry has already loaded the Defence Procurement procedure current series 2016 on the Internet portal today.
He hoped that the new procedure and the categories will actually push the agenda of Make in India and help achieving the target of major success in creating India’s industrialization in the field of defence production. Shri Parrikar also attributed the overwhelming response from foreign countries in this Defence Expo to India’s programme of Make in India.
Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said the robust industrial base will be created due to the various initiatives and policies adopted by the Government recently. Defence Secretary Shri Ashok Kumar Gupta welcomed the delegates to the expo. The Chief of the Navy Admiral R K Dhawan and Army Chief General G Mohan Kumar were also present on the occasion.
Chief Minister of Goa Laxmikant Parsekar appealed the companies to look forward for choosing Goa as the investment destination for defence related units
Display of the latest version of Main battled tank Arjun, newly inducted vehicles of armed personnel carriers were the highlights of the demonstrations held immediately after the inaugural ceremony on Betul Quitol grounds. A large number of Indian and foreign companies have already put up their pavallions and started business enquiries. Indian public sector defence units like Bharat Electronics,DRDO and other private Indian companies are looking forward for better opportunities.