Srinagar, Oct 30: Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, GoIin partnership with CII Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, a defence Industry body and Mazagon Shipbuilders Ltd., largest defence ship & submarine builders, organised the Regional Defence MSME Conclave 2025, on October 30 at Jammu.
Centered on the theme “Promoting MSMEs into Defence Manufacturing: Enabling Policies & Ease of Doing Business the conclave brought together key stakeholders from the Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, Defence PSUs, GeM, SIDMand the MSME ecosystem. The conclave was organized to drive the integration of Regional Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) into the national defence manufacturing landscape, said a press release.
The inaugural session set a strategic tone, emphasizing the critical role of MSMEs in achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence.
Maj Gen PK Saini, VSM (Retd), Principal Advisor, SIDM, in his opening address, underscored the strategic imperative of leveraging regional MSME capabilities to build a resilient and secure defence industrial base.
Neeraj Agrawal, DDG DOMW, Ministry of Defence, highlighted the government’s proactive policy measures. He detailed key initiatives from the Defence Ministry. Providing the perspective of India’s largest defence shipyard, Biju George, Director (Shipbuilding), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, outlined the specific supply chain opportunities for MSMEs with over 350 components reserved for procurement through MSME.
Dr M A Alim, Chairman, CII J&K UT Council, spoke about the importance of geographic diversification of the defence industrial base. Maj. Gen Shaman Chodha (SD), HQ Northern Command, provided crucial insights from the user’s perspective, outlining the specific operational requirements and performance expectations of the Armed Forces from indigenous equipment.
