Ranchi, Sep 19 (PTI) Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth on Friday urged MSMEs and startups to work hard to meet the new target of Rs 50,000 cr defence exports.

He was addressing the inaugural of the three-day East Tech symposium here.

"The country's new target for defence exports is Rs 50,000 crore, and to achieve this goal, the country's MSMEs and startups will have to work hard. Today, 16,000 MSMEs are associated with the Ministry of Defence. This number should increase, and the youth of Jharkhand should also join,” he said.

Rajinder Singh Bhatia, President, Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) said 175 exhibitors and 400-plus delegates were participating in the East Tech 2025, which shows their commitment to fulfilling the vision of making this country self-reliant and empowered.

Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, GOC-in-C Eastern Command, said, “SIDM has been a significant support in our efforts. Our partnership with SIDM allows us to provide a platform where defence manufacturers, MSMEs, startups, and innovators from across the country have the opportunity to showcase their technologies and capabilities." The defence technology exhibition “East Tech 2025” commenced on Friday at the Khelgaon stadium, Ranchi.

Jointly organised by the Eastern Command and the SIDM, East Tech 2025 serves as the vital platform for showcasing and integrating state-of-the-art indigenous technologies aimed at overcoming operational challenges in the Eastern Theatre and across the Indian Army. PTI NAM NN

Defence exports target pushes MSMEs and startups to intensify efforts, leveraging defence exhibitions to showcase indigenous technologies. The government has set an elevated defence exports objective and urges MSMEs and startups to increase participation and effort; the Ministry currently engages thousands of MSMEs and aims to expand that base. A jointly organised regional defence technology exhibition provides a platform for showcasing indigenous technologies, fostering collaboration between military commands and industry, and addressing operational requirements through private-sector participation.