Def Expo 2020 (English version) Amar Ujala 07 Feb 2020
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Def Expo 2020 (English version) Amar Ujala 07 Feb 2020
In mid-2019 the defence ministry announced that the next edition of the international defence exhibition (Def Expo) will be held in Lucknow in Feb 2020. It is the first time that the event is being conducted in UP. The theme for current Def Expo is ‘India: the emerging defence manufacturing hub’ and is focused on ‘digital transformation of defence’. India is currently the worlds second largest importer of defence equipment, after Saudi Arabia, hence major companies are keen to enter the Indian defence market. This makes Def Expo’s in India a major draw.
Further, India only opened the private sector into defence in the early 2000’s, which till then was in the hands of the Defence Research and Development Organization as also the Ordnance Factories. Many Indian companies now into defence manufacturing and research seek to display their technology and products to gain national and international recognition.
By projecting India as the emerging defence manufacturing hub, the government hopes to bring latest technology from across the globe to Indian manufacturers, expand ‘make in India’ and turn India into a net defence equipment exporter, rather than just an importer. Digital Transformation of Defence implies the importance of technology including artificial intelligence and robotics in future warfare. The event also showcases Indian military power in live demonstrations and fly past of air power.
Some of the major Indian companies participating in the Def Expo include L & T, Tata Defence, Adani Defence and Mahindra Defence. There are hundreds of Indian small and medium defence production units also participating. The Defence Research and Development Organization will itself exhibit more than 500 products from all technology clusters in the current expo. Brahmos Missiles has been a major draw. International companies participating include Rafale, BAE, Boeing, Thales, Lockheed Martin, MDL, Gripen etc.
The Def Expo is an opportunity for defence manufacturing and research establishments to showcase their equipment and research to enable the world to become aware of current trends in defence capabilities. It is, apart from being a marketing exercise, an opportunity for those nations seeking to develop their defence capabilities to understand the current and future technology base. It also enables developing nations to determine their own requirements based on future nature of warfare. The ongoing Def Expo has over a thousand companies, including 165 from abroad, showcasing their products.
It is well known that future warfare would be determined by technology. It will require seamless coordination between the armed forces and other organs of the state. As the current army chief, General MN Naravane had stated, ‘Future conflicts would be more violent and unpredictable with battle spaces severely contested.’ He added, ‘The armed forces would need to be conscious about the dynamic and rapid technological advances in space, its militarization and increasing integration of space capabilities with future warfighting.’ The Expo is aimed at projecting this capability.
The importance of the Expo globally is evident with the presence of many international dignitaries. Defence Ministers and Service Chief’s from over 40 countries are attending the event. It was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, who in his opening address laid down targets which Indian defence exports are expected to achieve. He also highlighted supporting Indian defence start-ups and MSMEs. Both UP and Tamil Nadu are also seeking to invite defence equipment manufacturers into establishing their production units in their respective defence corridors.
Indian manufacturers are provided with a platform to showcase their products and align their technology with international organizations, as also process tie-ups for the future. This is an immense benefit as all Indian defence procurements follow a pattern of offsets, implying that every equipment that India procures results in the manufacturer investing some of the sale proceeds in Indian defence industry, including transferring relevant technology.
The question asked is how such an Expo could help a nation whose armed forces face severe budget constraints. The companies participating are aware of the Indian needs as also budgetary constraints and seek to draw interest towards their product. They offer their best products at most competitive prices hoping to venture into the Indian market. The major benefit to these companies is that an item introduced has a service span of three to four decades and they would continue providing spares, quality and maintenance support. With a large international participation, the market on offer is not just Indian but also South Asian and Africa, whose participants are present in large numbers.
The Def Expo is a yearly event which draws the best defence equipment manufacturers, global and domestic, and provides them a platform to showcase their products and seek to venture into the Indian defence market. The global importance of the event is evident from the large presence of international military dignitaries. The display of Indian armed forces capabilities demonstrates its military power. It is a must witness exhibition.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army