DefExpo-2020 was mahakumbh of defence manufacturing companies: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday termed as 'mahakumbh' the gathering of defence equipment manufacturing companies at DefExpo-2020.

He said through this event a strong base for the defence corridor has been laid and Uttar Pradesh will now become a "new hub" of defence production.

"Through this event everyone witnessed and felt the pride of India. This was the mahakumbh of defence manufacturing companies," the chief minister said addressing the closing ceremony of DefExpo-2020. Mahakumbh is a Hindu festival held after every 144 years and attended by millions of devotees.

DefExpo-2020 was held at the Uttar Pradesh capital city from February 5-8 with the theme 'India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub'.

Adityanath said defence ministers of 40 countries and over 3,000 delegates from 70 nations attended the event.

Over 1,000 delegates from India also participated in it, he added.

The chief minister said that in the last two and a half years, the government organized a number of events aimed at the development of the state.

"Our government held the first Investors' Summit here in February 2018. There was a perception among people that there will be no investment in Uttar Pradesh, but I am happy to inform you that we had received proposals worth Rs 5 lakh crore for investment, of which work has already started on projects worth Rs 2.5 lakh crore," he said.

"I am happy that the Uttar Pradesh government along with the Ministry of Defence has taken this event (DefExpo-2020) to a new level of success," he said thanking Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for the event.

During this event, twenty-three MoUs have been inked with the state government and we have received proposals for investment worth Rs 50,000 crore which would generate employment opportunities for over three lakh youths in the state, he said.