DefExpo 2020 shall catalyze Make in India initiatives: Raksha Rajya Mantri

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Defence Expo 2020, Raksha Mantri said that the Nation would benefit from the defense industrial ecosystem being setup and developed using cluster development.

Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon'ble Raksha Mantri said that the creation of two Defence corridors in the Nation as a result of Prime minister's vision of leading India to become a technological powerhouse catapulted through policy initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, and Skill India. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Defence Expo 2020, Raksha Mantri said that the Nation would benefit from the defense industrial ecosystem being setup and developed using cluster development.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 11th Edition of Defence Expo in a gala event in Lucknow. The biggest ever of its kind, DefExpo 2020 would showcase India's might and prowess through its technological innovations.

Raksha Mantri during the occasion said that in order to make India a defense manufacturing hub, the key was cooperation among various countries and the global defense manufacturing companies. He said that companies from around the world we're bringing together their individual competencies in order to collaborate and share know-how with Indian companies to create a win-win situation. He stressed that India, with its large market base, recent technological advancements, software know-how, and fast-developing defense industry, was ideally suited to act as a facilitator and collaborator in this field. He mentioned that technology leaders, manufacturing hubs, and software companies were entering into MoUs to create cost-effective and efficient advanced solutions.

Raksha Mantri said a number of policy initiatives have been taken to unleash the potential in defense production in the country. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap was liberalized to 49% through the direct route, and above that up to 100 % through the government route. The procedures for industrial licensing, defense procurement and defense acquisition were simplified. Also, the single window clearance system introduced reduces the time required for various permissions for setting up of defense manufacturing units in India.

Speaking on the occasion, the Raksha Mantri made a pitch to visit the India Pavilion that was set up part of the DefExpo 2020. Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AR), Augmented Virtual Reality(AVR), Autonomous Systems, Internet of Military Things (IoMT) and Industry 4.0 were showcased and was a reflection of the priorities of the Indian Government and the defense industry. He mentioned that the push given by various policies to leverage the technology shall help the defense industry to reap benefits multifold.

In his opening remarks, Raksha Rajya Mantri thanked the Prime Minister for bringing a shift in policies that gave a boost to Make in India initiatives in defense manufacturing. He said that DefExpo 2020 was the biggest ever defense event being conducted in the country where companies from more than 170 countries are participating. DefExpo 2020 would act as an enabling platform that shall catalyze the Make in India initiatives in the country.

Addressing the gathering Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath said this edition of DefExpo 2020 being held in Lucknow was a matter of pride for the state. The defense corridor setup here would create a world-class defense ecosystem that shall cater to the technological needs of the defense companies. During DefExpo 2020, he said Uttar Pradesh Government will sign 23 MoUs which will bring Rs 50,000 crore investment that shall give job opportunities to over 3 lakh people.

A short film on the opportunities in the aerospace arena in the country was showcased during the inauguration ceremony of the DefExpo 2020.

DefExpo-2020, a flagship biennial event of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, one of the largest events of its kind is being held for the first time in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from 5 th to 9 th Feb 2020. The 11th edition of Def Expo promises to bring new technologies, technological solutions, where Defence manufacturing companies from India and abroad showcase their products and services in the Defence arena, on a single platform. A large number of foreign delegates including defense ministers from 40 countries are attending the expo, where a number of MoUs are expected to be signed forging technological ties for developing state of the art defense products.

(With Inputs from PIB)