AGENCIES / LUCKNOW
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has said that India will become a prominent centre of global defence manufacturing in coming years.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony at the conclusion of DefExpo 2020 at Lucknow today, Mr Singh stressed that the DefExpo would also establish India as a Defence manufacturing hub of the world and exporter.
The Defence Minister said that DefExpo has succeeded in projecting a new identity of Uttar Pradesh in defence sector and the Defence corridor received a huge boost for attracting new investments with the signing of 23 MoUs. He said, UP stands for Unlimited Potential which will very soon emerge as a hub of defence production in Country.
He described DEFEXPO20 as an unprecedented success that not only witnessed participation of a large number of exhibitors but also forged new partnerships and attracted more than 12 lakh visitors. Mr Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the DefExpo and adopting policies that improved image of India on world stage.
Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar said on the occasion that DefExpo was successful in raising awareness and interest of investors in UP Defence corridor. He said, it also showed that India is not behind any other country in terms of digital technology prowess.
Lucknow Declaration adopted by the first-ever India-Africa Defence Ministers conclave is a landmark achievement of this DefExpo. 1024 exhibitors participated in the expo, 172 of them being foreign companies.
40 Defence Ministers were part of total 70 foreign delegations that visited Lucknow. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the DefExpo as Defence Kumbh, which witnessed presence of more than 3,000 foreign delegates, 10,000 Indian delegates and 12 lakh visitors and laid a strong foundation for the development of UP Defence corridor.