India’s new defence procurement policy to be launched online

India’s long anticipated Defence Procurement Policy of 2016 (DPP-2016) would be launched online during Defence Expo India-2016, which is to be held in south Goa from March 28. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said that the new policy would be accessible on the defence ministry's website with effect from March 28. This will replace the current DPP-2013, and govern all defence acquisitions initiated after April 2.

Parrikar said that the ninth edition of DefExpo India, a biennial exhibition of Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems, starting in Goa, would be the largest one in its history. He said expo's current edition is one of the most important events in the field of production, exports and Indianisation of the sector. However, he clarified that 'Make in India' in the defence sector and DefExpo are two different things.

Around 1000 companies, both foreign and Indian, are taking part in the exhibition this year to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa, which is over one and a half times in number of participants in Defexpo 2014. 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 exhibition would be spread over six lakh square metres of land.