Kerala - Kochi   

Defence industry workshop begins today

KOCHI: A defence industry workshop, the first of its kind in Kerala, for small-scale industries involved in making products that could be sourced by defence establishments, will be held here on Thursday and Friday.

The symposium is being organised by the Kerala State Industries Department in cooperation with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Kerala State Small Industries Association (KSSIA).

The symposium, being held at Hotel Taj Residency, is aimed at familiarising the public sector undertakings, private sector units and industrial cluster groups in Kerala with the procedures of defence procurement.

Experts from the Defence Department will advise the industry on how to go about in the unexplored areas for forging tie-ups between the industrial units and the Defence establishment.

An exhibition will also be organised to help the industrial units explore the opportunities. They can also display their products. The workshop is part of Government of India’s efforts to overturn the current trend of heavy dependence on import in the defence sector. Indigenisation of production is one of the major targets of the Defence Department.

India continues to be one of the top 12 defence spenders in the world and the Government of India has ushered in a phase of liberalisation in the defence sector allowing private sector into synergising indigenous production for the defence establishment.

The liberalisation policy has been initiated with a view to substituting import through higher domestic production.

Between five and 10 per cent of the defence budget is earmarked for modernisation and weapon induction and the Government of India expects its defence budget to exceed $20 billion by 2008.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Supplyco initiative to help fever-hit
Defence industry workshop begins today
CIFT wins award
‘Land assignment Act not for the rich’ High Court Round-up
Mayor blames it on real estate lobby
Private bus strike near-total
City facing a dangerous situation, says Collector
2,000 houses damaged in monsoon fury
Level up in reservoirs
Evidence taken
Passport adalat

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu