Guwahati: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday reviewed the preparations for DefExpo 2022, Asia’s largest exhibition on land, naval, and homeland security systems to be held in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar in March.
The event is expected to be one of the largest defence international exhibitions in the world.
There has been greater domestic and international interest in this 12th edition of DefExpo since India relaxed its health protocols owing to the reduction in COVID-19 cases. So far, 930 exhibitors have registered for the mega event and the numbers are expected to rise beyond 1,000 in the days ahead.
Since relaxation in COVID protocols has generated greater interest in DefExpo-2022, Rajnath Singh extended the event by one day. The exhibition will now be held between March 10-14, 2022. It will facilitate defence business through three business days and makes it inclusive for young entrepreneurs and college/school millennial of Gujarat during two public days.
The DefExpo-2022 will be held as a hybrid exhibition, with stalls in both physical and virtual realms. This will ensure greater engagement as the exhibitors will be able to cater to both physical and virtual attendees. The Raksha Mantri was briefed those virtual attendees could participate in seminars, interact with the exhibitors & representatives; hold Business-to-Business (B2B) meetings, and view product details and supporting videos.
The mega exhibition is being planned in a three-venue format – exhibition at the Helipad Exhibition Center (HEC); Events and Seminars at the Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC) and live demonstration for the public at Sabarmati Riverfront.
Safety protocols such as the compulsory wearing of facemask, non-contact interactions, respiratory hygiene, etc will be implemented at all venues in line with the prevailing health protocols.
The theme of the event has been christened, ‘Path to Pride’. The event will showcase India’s resolution to be the first amongst the firsts. With indigenous technological and logistics prowess at the forefront, the event will invigorate the defence industry, start-ups, and MSMEs to cement solid partnerships with attending foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).
The DefExpo 2022 is symbolic of India’s resolve to accelerate its business interests and take global initiatives towards peace and security in the region.
Rajnath Singh appreciated the arrangements made by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat and exuded confidence in a safe and successful DefExpo 2022.
A DefExpo-2022 mobile app was also launched by Raksha Mantri during the review. It is an interactive and user-friendly interface for all issues related to the event. The app, available on the Android/iOS platforms, contains features to support exhibitors, attendees, and the media. It provides information on the exhibitors, schedule, speakers, venue maps, driving directions, publications as well as notifications to visitors and exhibitors.
New features, such as delegate hospitality management and structured feedback including cleanliness-related issues, have been added to the app.
It may be mentioned that on September 02, 2021, a Memorandum of Understanding, defining the roles and responsibilities, was signed between the Government of India and the Government of Gujarat, on the margins of the Raksha Mantri’s review of DefExpo 2022 at Ekta Nagar. The Raksha Mantri had then brought out that there would be wider participation in keeping with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and the Government’s policies to promote the growth of the indigenous defence manufacturing sector.