Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the biggest ever Defence Expo in Gujarat's capital Gandhinagar on Wednesday, which will also showcase products made by Indian firms.
Projects to boost Defence Preparedness
PM Modi said the event is aimed at exhibiting India's defense manufacturing capabilities. “It will strengthen the world’s belief in India’s business skills,” he added.
He also launched Mission DefSpace, a government initiative to bolster India's space related defence preparedness, India Today reported. Furthermore, he virtually participated in the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the 1,000 crore Deesa airfield in Banaskantha in Gujarat, which will be completed in 21 months. The airfield will provide an avenue for defence forces to conduct air and sea operations and simultaneously improve their response time.
Public-private partnerships
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the event in Gandhinagar and said the expo aims to showcase the country’s strong defence mechanism and the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. He said, "We have realised that enhancing public-private will benefit the defence sector."
"While interacting with defence ministers of more than 10 nations, I understood that Indian goods and training systems are being used in many countries."
Other projects
The prime minister will also launch the Mission Schools of Excellence at Adalaj and lay the foundation stones of various development projects in Junagadh.
He will also inaugurate the India Urban Housing Conclave-2022 and dedicate and lay the foundation stones of multiple key projects in Rajkot. Besides this, he will also launch an exhibition of innovative construction practices in Rajkot.
Aditionally, he will dedicate more than 1,100 houses constructed under the Light House Project, a government release said.
PM's frequent visits to poll bound Gujarat
Today's DefExpo inauguration in Gujarat marks the prime minister's third visit to the poll bound state.
On October 9, Modi began a three-day visit to Gujarat, wherein he launched various projects worth more than Rs 14,600 crore.
Yesterday, he reviewed progress of the National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal.
In fact, opposition leaders have taken a dig at the PM's frequent visits to the poll bound state, with senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot said that the PM "should open a camp office of the PMO in Gujarat so that work continues smoothly."
(With inputs from PTI)
