India's Defence Procurement Policy to be launched online

India’s Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) would be launched online during Defence Expo India-2016, to be held in south Goa from tomorrow, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

“We will be launching the Defence Procurement Policy online during DefExpo. It will be put on Ministry’s website,” Parrikar told PTI ahead of the inauguration of the two-day mega event.

Parrikar said expo’s current edition is one of the most important events in the field of production, exports and Indianisation of the sector.

He, however, clarified that ‘Make In India’ in the defence sector and DefExpo are two different things.

“The basic concept of Defence Expo is a commercial exchange between various companies which will happen here,” the former chief minister said.

The website of Defence Expo, monitored by the Defence Ministry, has listed 1,054 companies who will be setting up their stalls for the exhibition to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa.

“Defexpo India is clearly steering the path of steady growth and has been receiving overwhelming and unprecedented international response with each edition,” ministry’s website on the mega event said.

The exhibition will have live demonstration of air display on March 28-29 at the site which is located adjacent to the Arabian Sea.

The land that was acquired for setting up an industrial estate has been temporarily allotted to the Defence Ministry for the expo. The exhibition would be spread over six lakh square metres of land.

The event earlier witnessed protest by locals and activists claiming that they were not taken into confidence.  Petitions had also been filed before the Goa bench of Bombay High Court opposing it.

The HC, which would be hearing the matter on Wednesday, refused to stay the event.