New Delhi (NVI): In a major outreach to the defence manufacturing industries of the world, the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on November 4 urged the respective countries to join the DefExpo 2020 which will showcase India’s intent to achieve a turnover of USD 26 billion in aerospace and defence goods and services by 2025.
Chairing the Ambassadors’ Round Table conference on DefExpo 2020 here, Singh urged the envoys to impress upon the captains of their respective defence industries to participate in DefExpo 2020 in a big way so as to “dive deep into the strategic and business opportunities available and to establish strategic partnerships”.
The heads of missions and defence experts from over 80 countries participated in the conference regarding the 11th mega biennial event, to be held in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow from February 5-8, 2020.
The Round Table was aimed to brief the representatives of foreign missions based in national capital about the arrangements being made for DefExpo and elicit suggestions from them to further improve the experience.
“The DefExpo will not only provide countries with the opportunity to showcase their equipment and platforms, but also be able to explore the strengths and capabilities of India’s defence industry for meeting operational goals,” said Singh.
“DefExpo is an opportunity to foster partnerships and be part of shared prosperity. These strong ties can boost investment, expand manufacturing, raise the level of technology and accelerate economic growth of our respective countries,” Singh added.
“India’s defence sector has matured and is exploring mutually beneficial partnerships with friendly countries to set up industries in India and abroad,” he said.
“The event will showcase India’s plans for Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu where investment commitments of about USD 1 billion have already been received. More than 100 business events and seminars are being planned with over 1,000 exhibitors expected at the mega event.”
Impressing upon the Expo’s sub-theme ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’, Singh said, “Digitalisation is the key to future security scenario as the spectrum of warfare is transiting from land, air & sea to cyber & space.”
“DefExpo will demonstrate India’s ability in cyberspace and define its needs in the sector. “The challenge is not just to prepare for contingencies but also to repel threats from multiple sources and at the same time possess the ability to respond proactively if needed,” he added.
The state minister of Defence Shripad Naik and Defence Production Secretary Subhash Chandra along with other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence were also present in the meeting.
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