Gandhinagar. Election-bound Gujarat is likely to see announcements of investments totalling more than Rs 5,500 crore, including in new production facilities, during the DefExpo exhibition here next week.
Speaking to the media, defence secretary Ajay Kumar said 33 memorandums of understanding pertaining to Gujarat would be signed during the event and that Rs 5,500 crore of investment proposals were expected.
Besides the state, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce will have a separate stall where the companies dealing in defence production will showcase their work.
Several big-ticket announcements for defence production in Gujarat are expected during the show. These include the manufacturing of 100 more K 9 Vajra self-propelled artillery guns at the Hazira facility of Larsen & Toubro. The setting up of an aviation manufacturing unit near Vadodara for the Tata-Airbus C 295 transport aircraft could also be announced.
DefExpo this year will showcase India’s defence manufacturing capabilities with a focus on projecting the country as an emerging manufacturing hub.
As many as 30 seminars are scheduled during the exhibition. The programmes will include two defence ministers’ conclaves: India-Africa Defence Dialogue and IOR+ (Indian Ocean Region plus) Conclave.
For the first time, states and UTs have been invited to set up pavilions, with several confirming their participation. More than 300 partnerships in terms of MoUs, transfer of technology agreements and product launches are being finalised.
