Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that India’s export of military hardware had grown by 334 per cent over the past five years.
“It is because of the collaborative efforts of entities from all over the world that our defence exports have grown by 334 per cent in (the) last five years and now India is exporting to more than 75 countries,” Singh said, addressing foreign diplomats at an event aimed at briefing them about the DefExpo 2022.
The next edition of the DefExpo is expected to provide an overview of what India has been able to achieve in terms of defence research and development, production and application of modern technologies for use by the military.
Gandhinagar in Gujarat will host the 12th edition of India's mega defence exhibition -- the DefExpo -- from March 11-13 next year.
“Our export performance is a strong indicator of the quality and competitiveness of our defence products,” Singh said, addressing more than 200 delegates, including ambassadors, heads of missions and defence attaches of foreign countries.
Inviting the foreign delegates to attend DefExpo 2022, Singh said that India was open to conducting business on a mutually beneficially collaborative basis, in the spirit of give and take, for all-round welfare of everyone.
He said that DefExpo 2022 would bring all the latest technologies under one roof and provide a myriad of opportunities to the stakeholders in the aerospace and defence industry.
“Resurgent India, where defence manufacturing is an identified pillar of growth, will display its ability to take lead at DefExpo 2022.”
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Secretary (Defence Production) Raj Kumar and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence and Government of Gujarat were also present at the event.
The Defence Minister stated that the Indian aerospace and defence manufacturing sector is ready to soar to newer heights and it has the potential for R&D in space, cyberspace, futuristic capabilities and disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Block-chain, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Digital Frontier and Internet of Military Things.
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