12th edition of DefExpo to begin in Gujarat

With an aim to give impetus to the defense sector, India’s ‘biggest ever’ defense exhibition – DefExpo 2022 is going to begin in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from October 18 to 23.

About the DefExpo 2022:

• This is the 12th edition of the event that has been organized on the theme ‘Path to Pride’.
• Objective: DefExpo 2022 aims to showcase the growing prowess of the domestic defense industry, calling it one of the major drivers of the nation’s resolve to achieve ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.
• It is a biennial exhibition (organized every Two years) that has been organized to support, showcase, and forge partnerships for the Indian aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors with Indian as well as global customers.
• The Expo event is exclusively for Indian companies, as a humble tribute of an ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ to Mahatma Gandhi who he called the “pillar of the Swadeshi movement”.
• DefExpo 2022 will be the first-ever edition exclusively for Indian companies.
• Indian Participants for the Event:
  • Indian companies,
  • Indian subsidiaries of Foreign OEMs,
  • Division of a company registered in India, and
  • Exhibitors having a Joint Venture with an Indian company will be considered Indian participants.
• This edition has the largest participation so far and is spread over one lakh square meters with 75 countries, 33 Foreign Ministers, 1,340 Indian companies, and 10 State pavilions.
• Events listed: As part of the DefExpo, a live demonstration by the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Coast Guard, and the DRDO, showcasing land, naval, and air procedures, and systems in action will be done at the ‘Sabarmati River Front.

Significance:

• Pan-India participation: For the first time, States/Union Territories (UTs) have been invited to set up pavilions at the event. It is a new initiative for States/UTs as they will get an opportunity to participate in nation-building by attracting investment and bolstering their potential for indigenous aerospace & defense manufacturing. 
• The DefExpo 2022 will also mark the celebration of one year of the formation of the seven new defense companies, carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board.