Defence Minister inaugurates Defexpo-2016 in Goa

The 9th edition of Defexpo India, a biennial exhibition on Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems was inaugurated on Monday by the Defence Minister, 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 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 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.