Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that the days of policy paralysis in defence are over and the government will ensure defence requirements are met not only for the present but for future too.

PM Modi said this after inaugurating the 10th Defence Expo, a biennial exhibition of weapons and military hardware, in Mahabalipuram today. The Prime Minister also said that the land of our glorious maritime legacy has been the one from where India Looked East and Acted East thousands of years ago.

The theme of four-day expo is “India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub”. PM Modi also stressed that being living in inter-connected world, it is imperative that we make in india and supply to the world.

The Prime Minister said that the government’s commitment to peace is as strong as our commitment to protecting our people & our territory. He added that for realizing this, the government is ready to take all necessary measures to equip our Armed Forces.

Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman today invited everyone to come to India and make in India. Addressing the gathering at Defence Expo, she also exhorted Indian companies to give a boost to domestic defence manufacturing. The minister added that India will develop two defence corridor one in Tamil Nadu and another one in Uttar Pradesh.

India’s mega defence exhibition, the DefExpo is underway in Chennai. Major global and domestic military firms are eyeing billions of dollars of contract as part of the country’s military modernisation programme. India is expected to spend close to USD 300 billion in the next five years in procuring defence equipment and almost all major global defence firms are eyeing a slice of it.

According to the Defence Ministry, over 670 defence firms, including 154 foreign manufacturers, are participating in the exhibition of weapons and military hardware.

Addressing media at the Defense Expo-2018, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Indian companies should focus on complete indigenous manufacturing.

Delegations from over 47 countries, including the US, the UK, Russia, Afghanistan, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nepal, Portugal, Seychelles and Vietnam are attending the event.

Defence Minister said that private companies are expected to come up with tech savvy, enhanced products and this will enable the government to promote and approve them easily.