The number of companies participating at DefExpo 2020, 11thEdition of the biennial defence exhibition, taking place at Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh has over 1000 participants making this the biggest ever DefExpo to be held in the country. The number of participating foreign companies has also increased to 165.
The exhibition space at DefExpo 2020 is 60 per cent more than in at DefExpo 2018, this time being 42,800 square metres, compared with 26,774 two years earlier. Defence Ministers and Service Chiefs of 35 countries are participating with a number of Memorandum of Undertaking (MoUs) are being formalised.
With ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’ as the banner, the event encompasses an entire spectrum of the aerospace, defence and security interests. Specific theme of the exhibition is ‘Digital Transformation of Defence’ which is a concept of the future battlefield. Manufacturing in the aerospace and defence sector, with newer technologies focused upon, while in addition to exhibiting products and technologies, there are live demonstrations by the Services, DPSUs and industry, showcasing various land, naval, air and internal security systems. Live demonstrations are held at two locations, one at the exhibition site itself and the other along the Gomati river front.
The ‘India Pavilion’ exclusively showcases jointness between the public and private sector, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)/Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). As appropriate, there is a sizeable Uttar Pradesh Pavilion at the venue: apart from displaying industrial prowess and potential for investors, the UP government has organised several cultural programmes on heritage of this northern state.
The Government of India has set up a specific Defence Industrial Corridor in Uttar Pradesh, involving six nodes. It is planned to build a defence manufacturing corridor along the proposed Bundelkhand Expressway, the DefExpo playing the role of a catalyst in attracting not only investments but cutting-edge technologies to the region.
A number of business seminars have been organised by both International and Indian organisations including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), SYNERGIA, Directorate of Standardisation (DOS)/Department of Defence Production (DDP), US-India Business Council (USIBC), US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and others. Seminar topics include those on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, Internet of Things (IoTs), Drones and others.
Technology has been used as an enabler, with an DefExpo App earlier released by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, and available on Apple App Store and Android Play Store. Main features of the App are to ‘inform, engage and feedback’, with detailed information on day-to-day events; participating exhibitors; DPSUs, guest speakers of seminars/webinars; publications including electronic brochures and e-books; maps and directions of the venues - and the city weather !
(Some images down the years!)
Karanjit
Singh from Nammo
Clemens Linden, Managing Director, Eurojet
Pillars of the Show, the gentlemen from RE Rogers!