Importance of Defence Shows

Lt Gen. Mukesh Sabharwal

By the end of March 2016, another edition of DefExpo will become a reality. Ninth in the series of defence exhibitions that are held every two years in the country, the upcoming event may be different in several ways but is unlikely to produce any earth shattering results overnight. Yet, there is a ring of excitement in the defence industry, an air of expectation among vendors at large. DefExpo India 2016, the Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems Exhibition, was held at Naqueri Quitol in Quepem Taluka of South Goa, India from 28 to 31 March 2016.

Defence exhibitions are major highlights in the calendar of the ministry of defence (MoD). Each edition endeavours to outdo the previous one in scale and scope. Compared to about 425 exhibitors in the 2010 exhibition, almost 600 exhibitors, including 200 foreign exhibitors participated in 2012 in New Delhi, India, a country known to be one of the biggest arms and equipment buyers in the world. The 2014 event was attended by the largest number of officials with 63 delegations from 58 countries gracing the occasion. According to the official report of the MoD, the eighth edition of DefExpo India, held in February 2014, recorded an unprecedented growth in foreign as well as domestic companies’ participation over its previous editions. An impressive 232 foreign companies from 32 countries participated in the show along with 15 country pavilions that provided a platform to all the exhibitors to display their latest technologies and products and an opportunity to explore the market and business potential for mutual benefits. It is believed that 54 nations have already confirmed their participation at the 2016 event, making it the biggest edition of DefExpo. Almost all top global defence manufacturers, besides Indian players, are taking part in the event.

For global defence vendors, DefExpo is an excellent opportunity for entering the Indian market, estimated in excess of USD100 billion in the next 10 years. According to defence analysts, this figure would possibly be supplemented by another USD20 billion on homeland security. The Indian capital budget is already USD18 billion and rises at about 15 per cent annually. Exhibitors mostly from France, Germany, Israel, Russia, the UK and the US accompanied by about 50 official delegations have been participating in every DefExpo. The Indian display is normally represented by the Defence and Research Organisation (DRDO) and other public sector undertakings (PSUs) like the Bharat Electricals Ltd (BEL), Garden Reach Shipping and Engineering (GRSE), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), and Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL). BrahMos was conspicuous by its