40 MoUs signed at DefExpo in Chennai

CHENNAI: As many as 40 MoUs were signed at the recently held DefExpo 2018, including 25 agreements sealed with foreign countries.
The four-day expo saw Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the military research and development arm under the defence ministry, transferring 10 critical technologies including heavy weight torpedo Varunastra and Astra air-to-air missiles to private and PSUs for manufacturing.
In an outcome report, the ministry said defence PSUs like Bharat Electronics, Mazagon Docks and Goa Shipyard alone had signed 16 MoUs including 11 with foreign countries like Ukraine, Israel, the US, Bhutan, Germany and France.
The deals with foreign countries are for creating a new tank for Indian defence ministry, exploring warship export opportunities, design and indigenously build tourist submarine and for manufacturing super hornet multi-role fighter aircraft among others.
Among MoUs signed with Indian companies and institutions include a deal with IIT-Madras by Mazagon Docks to indigenously develop advanced unmanned vehicles.
Seven deals were sealed by Indian private companies with foreign manufacturers for jointly developing various platforms and services for the Indian defence forces. It includes development of a UAV system that can be launched and recovered from Indian warships.
India signed seven agreements with Russia at the India-Russia military industrial conference held on the third day of the Expo to indigenously manufacture spare parts, get technical and logistic support for systems and platforms from Russia that are in service with the Indian armed forces.
The expo saw a total of 702 exhibitors including 160 from foreign countries. As many as 160 Indian MSMEs, including those in Tamil Nadu, also took part and exhibited their wares at the expo.
Major Indian manufacturers like Tata, L&T, Mahindra, Bharat Forge, Kalyani besides defence PSUs had put up stalls exhibiting the latest tech from their labs and factories.
Apart from seminars, many B2B meetings were also held.