Creation of Defence corridors result of PM's vision: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that the creation of two Defence corridors was a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of leading India to become a technological powerhouse catapulted through policy initiatives.

"Rajnath Singh said that the creation of two Defence corridors was a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of leading India to become a technological powerhouse catapulted through policy initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India and Skill India," an official statement read.

According to the statement, speaking at the inauguration ceremony of Defence Expo 2020, Singh said the nation would benefit from the defence industrial ecosystem being setup and developed using cluster development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 11th Edition of Defence Expo at a spectacular ceremony in Lucknow.

The Defence Minister stressed that India, with its large market base, recent technological advancements, software know-how and fast-developing defence industry, was ideally suited to act as a facilitator and collaborator in this field. He mentioned that technology leaders, manufacturing hubs, and software companies were collaborating to create cost-effective and efficient advanced solutions.

Defence Minister said a number of Policy initiatives have been taken to unleash the potential in defence production in the country.

In his opening remarks, Singh thanked PM Modi "for bringing a shift in policies that gave a boost to Make in India initiatives in defence manufacturing."

Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath said this edition of DefExpo 2020 being held in Lucknow was a matter of pride for the state.

"The defence corridor setup here would create a world-class defence ecosystem that shall cater to the technological needs of the defence companies. During DefExpo 2020, Uttar Pradesh Government would sign 23 MoUs envisaging Rs 50,000 crore investment and providing job opportunities to over 3 lakh youth," UP CM was quoted as saying.