The 12th edition of biennial DefExpo will begin in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, Gujarat today. Live demonstrations showcasing the equipment and skill set of the Armed Forces, DPSUs and Industry will be held during the five-day event.
The theme of 12th DefExpo is ‘Path to Pride’ which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to transform India into a strong and self-reliant nation by supporting, showcasing and forging partnerships for the Indian Aerospace and Defence manufacturing sectors with Indian as well as global customers, the defence ministry said.
At DefExpo-2022, the participants will get an opportunity to showcase their equipment and platforms and be able to explore the strengths and capabilities of the expanse of Indian Defence industry for forging business partnerships.
As part of the DefExpo, live demonstrations by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and DRDO, showcasing land, naval and air procedures, and systems in action will be held in the evening from 4.45 pm daily at Sabarmati River Front.
The joint live demonstration will include combat freefall, Sarang helo aerobatics, slithering from helo into a boat, high-speed boat runs and neutralising enemy post, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The India Pavilion – a marque pavilion of Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence – will showcase the maturity of indigenous defence products, start-ups, latest technology, including Artificial Intelligence in defence, and will present India’s vision for 2047. It has been named ‘Path to Pride’.
According to the ministry, over 50 startups will showcase their products at the pavilion. For the first time, states/union territories have been invited to set up pavilions at the event, with several confirming their participation.
Over 1,300 exhibitors including various Defence PSUs and private industries, start-ups, and states will participate in the exhibition. Briefing the media, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this will be the largest-ever Defence expo, showcasing India’s capabilities in the defence manufacturing sector.
He said India, which was once known as world’s one of the biggest importers of defence products, has now been among the top 25 defence exporters in the world.
