India showcases land, naval and homeland security prowess at DefExpo-2022 in Gujarat

The pre-inaugural curtain-raiser ceremony to India's "biggest ever" defence exhibition, called the DefExpo-2022 was held on Monday with India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh being the chief guest. The exhibition is being held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat and aims to give impetus to the Indian defence sector. This is the 12th edition of the event and has been organised on the theme 'Path to Pride'. It aims to exhibit Land, Naval and Homeland Security Systems.

Image: Twitter/@DefProdnIndia

Addressing the media during the curtain-raiser ceremony in Gandhinagar, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said, that the DefExpo-2022 will showcase the country’s growing prowess in the domestic defence industry, calling it one of the major drivers of the nation's resolve to achieve 'Make in India, Make for the World'.  

Aims of DefExpo-2022

Rajnath Singh added during the curtain raiser that the “biennial exhibition” has been organized to “support, showcase and forge partnerships for the Indian aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors.”  

The products being displayed at the defence exhibition aim to achieve the overall objective of catering to domestic requirements while fulfilling the needs of friendly foreign countries stated the defence minister.  

Furthermore, the defence minister termed DefExpo 2022, as a humble tribute of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' to Mahatma Gandhi whom he called the "pillar of the Swadeshi movement".  

First-ever edition exclusively for Indian companies

Additionally, DefExpo-2022 is set to be the first-ever edition exclusively for Indian companies. Indian companies, Indian subsidiaries of Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), a division of a company registered in India, and Exhibitors having a Joint Venture with an Indian company are to be considered as Indian participants.   

Moreover, this edition of the defense exhibition also marks the celebration of one year of the formation of the seven new defence companies, carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board. This will be the first time all these companies will participate in DefExpo.

Image: Twitter/@DefProdnIndia

Transfer of Technology agreements and product launches are on the agenda of the exhibition. Moreover, 451 partnerships in terms of MOUs are also expected during the Bandhan ceremony on October 20.

Highlights of the event

One highlight of the event will be a marque pavilion of the Department of Defence Production known as ‘the India Pavilion’. It is set to present India's vision for 2047 while also showcasing the maturity of indigenous defence products, start-ups and the latest technology, including Artificial Intelligence in defence.

In addition, the Innovations for Defence Excellence (IDEX) Pavilion will showcase the prowess of the country's start-ups carrying out research and development and innovation in futuristic technologies. Additionally, this is the first instance Indian States and Union Territories (UTs) have been invited to set up pavilions at the event. Moreover, the event is being emphasized to provide an opportunity for States and Union Territories to participate in nation-building by attracting investment and bolstering their potential for indigenous aerospace & defence manufacturing.