NEW DELHI: Rajnath Singh, the minister of Defense, reviewed the preparations for the upcoming  DefExpo 2022 at a meeting here on Tuesday.

The defence minister expressed his satisfaction with the preparations and urged the officials to make the DefExpo 2022 the best-ever defence exhibition, said the Ministry of Defence in a statement. The defence minister was briefed by officials about the arrangements being made by numerous stakeholders for the event during the meeting. Other top members of the Ministry of Defence, including MoS Ajay Bhatt and Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar, attended the meeting.

The 12th edition of DefExpo, which is slated to take place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between October 18 and 22, 2022, will be the largest one yet because, as of September 27, 2022, a record 1,136 firms have registered for the event. The event is being planned over the largest overall area of more than a million square metres (the previous edition being 76,000 sqm).

The 12th DefExpo's theme, "Path to Pride," is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of making India a powerful and independent country by promoting, showcasing, and creating partnerships for the country's aerospace and defence manufacturing industries with domestic as well as international clients.

The event will highlight the strength of the indigenous defence sector, which is now driving the government's and the country's resolve to "Make in India, Make for the World." This will be the first time the event has only been for Indian businesses. According to the ministry's announcement, participants from India will include Indian enterprises, Indian subsidiaries of foreign OEMs, divisions of companies established in India, and exhibitors with joint ventures with Indian companies.

The Defense Expo 2022 will also mark the celebration of one year of the formation of the 7 new defence firms, carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board. All these entities will be participating for the first time at DefExpo.
The 12th DefExpo will be a five-day event with business days from October 18–20 and public viewing days on October 21–22. For the first time, the event will take place across four locations.

The Mahatma Mandir Convention and Exhibition Centre will be set forth for hosting the opening ceremony and seminars.  Sabarmati River Front will host live demonstrations. And Porbandar will host ship visits by the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard for the general public. Additionally, IIT Delhi start-up M/s Botlabs, an iDEX winner, will host its largest-ever drone display.

The expo will also hold the second iteration of the India-Africa Defence Dialogue, in which a number of African defence ministers are expected to take part. Moreover, a second conclave for the Indian Ocean Region has been scheduled.
The Department of Defence Production's flagship pavilion, the India Pavilion, will highlight India's vision for 2047 while showcasing the development of homegrown defence products, start-ups, and advanced technology, including artificial intelligence in defence.

Its name is "Path to Pride." At the pavilion, more than 50 startups will display their products. States and Union Territories have been given the opportunity to erect pavilions at the event for the first time, and some have already confirmed their attendance. More than 300 partnerships involving Memoranda of Understanding, agreements for the transfer of technology, and product launches are being completed.

Also, Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence in Defence Manufacturing will be presented during the DefExpo. 

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