Defence Expo 2020: All you need to know

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Defence Expo -- India's biennial event -- is all set to begin on Wednesday. The flagship event of the Ministry of Defence is being held for the first time in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. From dates, time, theme, full schedule and other event details, we have everything in a nutshell for you. 

Defence Expo 2020: Dates, Full Schedule

Defence Expo is one of the largest events of its kind. The 11th edition is taking place from February 5 to February 9 in Lucknow. 

February 5

The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5, followed by live demonstration of Naval Systems, Aero Systems and Land Systems. Live demonstration will be done for systems which are designed or built in India. There will be three parallel business seminars on the opening day. These are being organized by industry associations and business chambers. The themes of the seminars will be, “Skill Development in Aviation & Defence”, “India – France Defence Industry Seminar” and “Indo- Israel -Opportunities in Defence Cooperation- Future Vectors of the Digital Battlefield”. Raksha Mantri would also be hosting a reception for the guests on the evening of February 5. There will be night illumination of anchored Navy vessels which will be a visual delight from the Gomati riverfront.

February 6

The fifth India Russia Military Industry Conference will be held on the sidelines of DefExpo 2020 at the venue. Over 100 Russian and over 200 Indian industry leaders are expected to participate. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside African Defence Ministers’ Conclave. He will also host a dinner in the honour of African Defence Ministers. Six seminars will be held on the second day, namely, “US Defence Industry and ‘Make in India’, “Indian Shipyards Going Global : Shipbuilding & MRO”, “Future of Aircraft Carriers, Emerging Global Aerospace & Defence Manufacturing Destination”, “Northern Defence Corridor: Global Investment Opportunity of Gold Standard, Harnessing Strengths of R&D Establishments, Academia and MSMEs for Triggering Defence Manufacturing and Exports” and “Game Changers in Aerospace & Defence and preparing from the next gen threat”. There will be live demonstration of large platforms and also flying display at the Gomti riverfront and the DefExpo venue.

February 7

Bandhan, a ceremony for signing of MoUs, launch of products and major announcements, will be presided by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh. There will be six seminars on the third day on “Defence Exports: Moving towards Rs 35,000 Cr”, “India – Korea Defence Industry Seminar”, “The Wired Warrior :Combat in a Digitised World”, “DGQA’s Role in MoD Schemes for Incentivizing Defence Manufacturing”, “Intellectual Property Rights – Concepts and Issues pertaining to Defence Industry”, and “Countering Rogue Drones”.

February 8

The DefExpo would be open for public. There will be live demonstration of large platforms and also flying display for appreciation by general public. Arrangements for local transport have been made with the help of Government of Uttar Pradesh. Entry will be free for general public on February 8-9, 2020.

February 9

Live demonstration and display of large platforms for appreciation by general public. Entry will be free for general public on February 9th, 2020DefExpo concludes.

Defence Expo 2020: Theme

The main theme of Defence Expo 2020 is: 'India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub'. The focus of the event will be on 'Digital Transformation of Defence'.

Defence Expo 2020: Who is participating

As many as 1,028 companies have registered for participating in the Defence Expo 2020. Defence Expo in 2018 saw participation of 702 companies. This year, the number of participating foreign companies has also risen to 172 from the previous figure of 160. The booked exhibition space by exhibitors for DefExpo 2020 has gone up by 96 per cent to over 43,021 square metres, compared to around 27,000 during the last edition. Defence Ministers and Service Chiefs of 38 countries have confirmed their participation for the DefExpo 2020.