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Defence Minister inaugurates Defexpo-2016 at Goa

The 9th edition of Defexpo India, a biennial exhibition on Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems was inaugurated today by the Defence Minister, Shri Manohar Parrikar at Naqueri Quitol, Quepem Taluka, South Goa, Goa. The four-day event is being organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.

At the outset Shri Parrikar announced that the Defence Procurement Procedure-2016 (DPP-2016) has been uploaded on the website of Ministry of Defence, commenting that it will provide a push to the �Make in India� campaign. He said the Government has been proactive in its �Make in India� initiative and desires to also include �Startup India� which will find opportunities in Defence sector. The Defence Minister stated that the Government has tweaked the policies to address the concerns of defence manufacturers and suppliers and enhanced transparency. The new procurement policy being promulgated by DPP-2016 will ensure faster pace in procurement especially through newly introduced categories under Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) provisions. Such provisions will encourage Indian Industry in Defence Sector, he added. He acknowledged the contributions of the Small and Medium Scale Industries in Defence Sector, quoting that many innovative ideas have come from these sectors. He further added that, while Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Defence Sector is capped at 49%, cases for higher FDI can be considered on case to case basis. He commended the organisers and the delegates present for the overwhelming response to Defexpo 2016 with record participation of companies in the event.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Laxmikant Parsekar, the Chief Minister of Goa, welcomed the delegates from all over the world to the State of Goa. He said that Goa is an industrially advanced state in the country, and there are many steps taken by the Government to enhance the ease of business within the state. These steps include Investment Promotion Board which provides a single window for obtaining all clearances required for setting up new industries. He hoped that an exhibition of this scale should give adequate stimulus to the local economy.

The Minister of State for Defence, Rao Inderjit Singh, who also spoke on the occasion, said that over the last 70 years India has created a robust industrial base and the aim of the government is to transform India from being a net importer to a net exporter of defence equipment through its �Make in India� campaign.

The inaugural ceremony saw live demonstrations of military equipment including Main Battle Tank Arjun Mk I and II, various types of heavy bridging equipment, Wheeled Armoured Vehicle, Sarang Aerobatic team and Naval LCA. MBT Arjun Mk II and Wheeled Armoured Vehicle were being displayed for the first time in any exhibition.

The function was also attended by the Union Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shri Shripad Naik, MP from South Goa Shri Narendra Keshav Sawaikar, Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan, Defence Secretary Shri G Mohan Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri AK Gupta and Senior Officials from the three Services and Ministry of Defence, Government of Goa as well as from the participating countries.

47 countries from different continents are taking part in the exhibition against 30 countries which participated in Defexpo 2014. In comparison to Defexpo 2014 where 624 companies participated; over 1000 companies, both foreign and Indian, are taking part this year. The net exhibition area sold during this edition is 40,725 square meters against 27,515 Square Meters in 2014.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Seminars will provide a platform to showcase developments and opportunities in the defence sector. The topics of the Seminars being conducted on 29 and 30 March 2016 are Global Defence Supply Chain, advances in shipbuilding technology, Make in India for defence sector, India � Korea Defence Cooperation, Modernisation Programme of Indian Army and Challenges and opportunities of Defence Offset.

The event will be open to public on 31 March 2016 and by prior registration on other days. People who wish to visit the site on other days may do so by registering on the website www.defexpoindia.in.