New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate a national-level conference on ‘Opportunities in Defence Manufacturing in the Country’ at Vigyan Bhawan here on Tuesday.

The conference, organised under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, will provide a focussed platform to strengthen coordination between the Ministry and governments of all the States and Union Territories, with the objective of aligning regional industrial policies and infrastructure development with the national goal of achieving self-reliance in Defence manufacturing, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

During the event, the Defence Minister Singh will launch the new ‘Defence Exim Portal’, designed to streamline the process of issuing export and import authorisations, as well as Srijan DEEP (Defence Establishments and Entrepreneurs Platform) portal, a digital repository mapping the capabilities and products of Indian Defence industries.

Two key publications ‘Aerospace & Defence Sector Policy Compendium of States and Union Territories’ and the iDEX Coffee Table Book ‘Shared Horizons of Innovation’ will also be released on the occasion, the statement said.

The conference aims to bring together senior officials from the Departments of Industries of all States and Union Territories to discuss their crucial role in advancing India’s Defence manufacturing ecosystem. It will also highlight ongoing national efforts to boost indigenisation, enhance Defence exports, and promote investment in the sector, the statement added.

India’s Defence production has surged to an all-time high of Rs 1.46 lakh crore, with exports increasing to a record Rs 24,000 crore in 2024-25, official figures show.

“Our Defence production which was only Rs 43,000 crore 10 to 11 years ago has now crossed a record figure of Rs 1,46,000 crore, with the private sector’s contribution of over Rs 32,000 crore. Our Defence exports, which were around Rs 600-700 crore 10 years ago, have surpassed a record figure of Rs 24,000 crore,” the Defence Minister said recently.

He described ‘Make-in-India’ as crucial for security and prosperity, stating that the use of indigenous systems during ‘Operation Sindoor’ has proved that India has the power to penetrate any armour of the enemy.

–IANS

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