Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has said his government is prepared to host the next edition of the Defence Expo in the coastal state in 2018. The biennial event, organised by the Defence Ministry, was held at Naqueri-Quitol village in South Goa last year. The chief minister said though the government is ready to hold the event in the state next year, it has not yet decided whether to make Naqueri-Quitol as its permanent venue. “The Defence Expo 2018 will be in Goa. That is a decision for this edition, which has nothing to do with the other proposal to have a permanent venue (for the event) in Goa,” Parrikar told reporters on Saturday in Calangute.
He said the state government wants to convert the site at Naqueri-Quitol into a permanent venue for hosting such exhibitions, but that would be done only after taking locals into confidence. The Defence Expo is an exhibition of various defence-related products. It provides a platform to the exhibitors to display their latest technologies and products, and an opportunity to explore/tap the market and business potential for mutual benefits.
