Maharashtra MSMEs to showcase niche products at Defence expo

PUNE: Maharashtra’s maiden defence expo will provide a platform to over 500 MSMEs working in the defence sectors to showcase niche products developed or being developed for the Indian armed forces at the show to be kicked off on Saturday at Moshi in Pimpri - Chinchwad, about 25 km from Pune.

The state will be hosting the expo almost six years after the release of the Defence and Aerospace Policy in 2018.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will inaugurate the expo on Saturday.

Industry experts said it is one of the crucial steps to encourage the MSMEs to work in the sector to leap forward.

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral R Hari Kumar recently told the media that it was a ‘great initiative’ by the Maharashtra government.” The MSMEs will play a crucial role in the Indian Navy’s commitment to become self-reliant by 2047. Through this expo, the companies will come to know our requirements,” he added.

Apart from MSMEs, the big companies will also have their stalls in the exhibition that is being set up over 50 acres of land off the Pune- Nashik highway.

Why this expo is crucial for MSEMs:

The micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector plays a critical role in the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in defence equipment manufacturing.

The move has given the much-needed fillip to domestic manufacturing capabilities in the defence sector. Because of this encouragement, several companies have collaborated with foreign defence manufacturers in India and global players in the last few years.

As a result, MSMEs produce a range of defence equipment and play a pivotal role in big projects like fighter jets, submarines, etc.

Known as the industrial powerhouse of India, Maharashtra is a leading state in promoting a self-reliant India. The state has a strong network of 39.88 lakh MSMEs.

The MSME Defence Expo will provide a dedicated platform for such industries to showcase their skill and capabilities and connect with key stakeholders in the defence industry, said the state officials.

“Many MSMEs and start-ups from the state are involved in the design and development of defence products. They are working under various schemes such as Innovation For Defence Excellence (iDEX), Technical Development Fund (TDF) and make project Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. More MSMEs need to come forward to participate and provide ‘out of the box’ solutions to the big companies to expedite their undertaken projects. This expo will provide them opportunities to establish links with these companies under one roof,” said Commodore who worked with private players in the past.

Currently, over 8,000 MSMEs are engaged in defence production and efforts are on to double this figure to 16,000 to bolster India’s export potential, said the officials.

Principal Secretary of, the Industries Department of Maharashtra Harshdeep Kamble said that the government is committed to providing comprehensive support to MSMEs through this expo.

“These include facilitating industry linkages, offering technical assistance and streamlining regulatory processes. This will enable them to actively participate in India’s defence sector,” Kamble added.

MSMEs expectations from the expo:

Defence equipment manufacturing is one of the challenging businesses due to the unique requirements of the Indian armed forces as they operate in diverse terrains from cold freeze mountains to deep and dark seas.

So many companies often find difficulties in fulfilling the mandatory operational parameters of the military. Thus, representatives of the MSMEs need support from the big players to find solutions to these issues, said the representatives from the MSMEs.

To make MSMEs strong, capable and a base pillar for defence indigenisation, a strong bond between big companies needs to be forged particularly in training, sharing details of the projects, and understanding complex concepts, the representatives said.

Vivek Kulkarni, assistant general manager, of Inled Technology, said, “There are some underlying issues that MSMEs currently face. They need guidance from large defence companies. For instance, we had set up a production line for a defence order. But it is now lying idle as we did not get the new order. So guidance and handholding is needed from the big companies to continue in the defence sector.”

Commander Bipin Savant (retd), the defence consultant, said, “The big companies can not make every system of the defence equipment. The MSMEs can fill this gap. The MSMEs will learn the varied requirements of these companies. Also, they should display their products to show their capabilities.”

“The key takeaway from this conference will be the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain in the defence sector and its integration into the hardware that is being used in defence systems. Right now, these technologies are being developed in isolation and there is a need to showcase how they can complement each other,” said Tansen Choudhary, CEO of Fluid Controls, which provides equipment to the defence sector.

What are attractions for visitors?:

As it is the maiden defence exhibition in Maharashtra, the government expects an overwhelming response to the exhibition.

Uday Sawant, the minister of the Ministry of Industries, told media persons on Friday that about 50,000 college and school students are likely to attend the expo.

“We have encouraged engineering colleges to take advantage of the platform to understand the defence industries requirements. It will help the engineering students to pursue a career in the defence sector,” Sawant added.

The state government has adopted a historic theme for the event and has given fort names to each pavilion where companies have set up their stalls said an organiser.

The major equipment, including helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF), are on display at the venue.

The visitors can also see the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, the recently inducted light combat helicopter Prachand, Dhanush artillery gun, field Howitzer 77 Bofors gun, T-90 Bhishma and Arjun Tanks, Infantry Carrying Vehicle BMP -II.

Apart from that, small arms weapon systems, various military vehicles, air defence and missile systems have been put on display.

Sawant said, “Three armed forces chiefs will visit the expo over the next three days. Besides, senior defence officials, armed forces personnel, defence experts and representatives of leading defence companies will deliver their speeches at the expo.”