First Defence Expo in Pune kickstarts ecosystem of defence manufacturing: Devendra Fadnavis

Pune (Maharashtra) [India], February 24 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that an ecosystem of defence manufacturing has developed in Pune as the first Defence Expo is taking place in the city.
"I feel proud that the first Defence Expo is happening in Pune ...a vital ecosystem of defence manufacturing has developed in Pune. We have several defence establishments in Maharashtra like Mazgaon Shipyard, ordinance factories, DRDO...," Fadnavis said speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo in Pune.
Fadnavis argued that Pune is the best place to organize the Defence Expo since Maharashtra has 11 Ordinance factories, five PSUs on defence and several research labs.
"In Maharashtra, there are 11 Ordinance factories, five different defence PSUs, we have DRDO and several research labs and NDA ...if you see Pune is the best place to organize this expo," the Deputy Chief Minister said.
"Maharashtra is at the forefront of defence manufacturing in the country. We boast vital defense establishments such as the Air Force Maintenance Command, Army Southern Command, Indian Navy Dockyard, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited facility, Mazgaon Dockyard, National Defence Academy, and various DRDO laboratories," he added.
Thanking the state Industry Minister and the Nibe Group Chairman, Fadnavis said that the Defence Expo has caught the attention of many youths.
"Our Industry Minister Uday Samant and Nibe Group Chairman and Managing Director Ganesh Nibe have put of lot of hard work into organising this expo...several youths have started visiting this expo. They are very excited to explore several military equipment on display...," the Deputy Chief Minister said.
"I also thank all our three Chief of Defence Forces. They made it possible by displaying various types of defence equipment here...I feel it's a very successful expo...," he said.
Fadnavis said that with the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign in the defence sector, several equipment have started manufacturing in India as several countries have started transferring technology to India.
"Earlier, we were dependent on other countries for several defence equipments...the core strength of developed countries like France, Germany USA and Russia lies in defence manufacturing. After PM Modi initiated the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, many countries started transferring technology and many types of equipment started being manufactured in India itself...with this, we have started manufacturing in our own country and we have become Atmnirbhar...," Fadnavis said.
The Deputy Chief Minister also added that they will be reviving the Aerospace and Defence Manufacturing policy in the state to boost investment in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis said that in 2017 the state has set up a Rs 1000 crore fund for angel investments in the defence sector.
"In 2017, Maharashtra became the first state to formulate an aerospace and defense policy, backed by a Rs 1000 crore fund for angel investments. This initiative has led to the establishment of 600 MSMEs, contributing significantly to our self-reliance goals," Fadnavis said.
The Deputy Chief Minister pledged to revive the 2017 policy, collaborate with the industry to develop a renewed aerospace and defence policy, and create four clusters to support the defence manufacturing supply chain.
Fadnavis also assured investors of forthcoming schemes tailored to the needs of defence MSMEs, aimed at fostering employment generation and fostering a robust network of MSMEs across the state.