Goa all set to host Defence Expo next year: Manohar Parrikar

Panaji, August 6: The Goa government is all ready to hold Defexpo 2018, a land, naval and internal security exhibition organised by the Ministry of Defence, at Naqueri-Quitol in South Goa.

The biennial event, organised by the Defence Ministry, was held at Naqueri-Quitol village in South Goa last year.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said though the government is ready to hold the event in the state next year, it has not yet decided whether to make Naqueri-Quitol as its permanent venue.

"The Defence Expo 2018 will be in Goa. That is a decision for this edition, which has nothing to do with the other proposal to have a permanent venue (for the event) in Goa," Parrikar told reporters in Calangute.

He said that the state government wants to convert the site at Naqueri-Quitol into a permanent venue for hosting such exhibitions, but that would be done only after taking the locals into confidence.

The Defence Expo is an exhibition of various defence-related products. It provides a platform to the exhibitors to display their latest technologies and products, and an opportunity to explore/tap the market and business potential for mutual benefits.

It may be recalled that the department of defence production of the Ministry of Defence had written a letter to Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma requesting him to consider the allotment of about 200 acres of land on the coastline of Goa to the Ministry, so that a permanent venue for conducting Defexpo could be set up.

PTI