Swatantra Foundation, a Chennai-based non-profit trust, will organise the first ever and largest private sector defence related expo at Chennai Trade Centre between January 18-20.
The ‘Defence & Technology Expo’ is organised with support of the Ministry of Defence - Department of Defence Production, Department of Science & Technology and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM).
The event aims to empower micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by bringing defence public sector undertakings, large buyers and MSMEs together to facilitate greater indigenisation of defence procurement to achieve the ‘atma nirbhar’ goals of the Government of India.
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) and Federation of Industry & Management Association are the co-hosts. MCCI & TANSTIA are the other supporting organisations.
“This initiative by Swatantra Foundation gains a special significance for the first Defence Corridor in the state of TN promises to go a long way in highlighting the contributions of the MSME’s in the state to display their products, offerings and innovations,” Jayant Patil, President of SIDM and a member of the expo steering committee said in a press release.
The Ministry of MSME through MSME-DC and Tamil Nadu Trade & Investment Promotion Bureau (MTIPB) have approved the event which enables participating MSE exhibitors to get stall cost reimbursed. Besides defence, the event will also focus on the technology sector where the Department of Science & Technology has joined hands to support companies in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics segments.
The expo will focus on engineering & manufacturing, leather, services, food, rubber & clothing in the defence & aerospace domain and Robotics & AI. Around 400 exhibitors are expected to participate in the two-day event.