Raksha Expo to give fillip to defence, aerospace sectors in Telangana: Chief secretary | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: To boost defence and aerospace sectors in Telangana and also provide opportunities for business interactions, buyer-seller meetings, marketing, MoUs, startup collaborations and seminars, the Telangana govt will hold Raksha Expo as part of Telangana Global Summit-2026 to be held from Dec 7 to 9 in Hyderabad. As part of this, the state govt is also planning an air show on Dec 9.The govt is planning to invite leading national and international defence, aerospace and arms manufacturing companies to participate in the Raksha Expo. For this, roadshows will be organised in Hyderabad on Oct 24 and in New Delhi on Oct 29 as part of a promotional campaign.

Chief secretary Sanjay Jaju, who held a review meeting with officials on the arrangements, said that the state govt was giving priority to the development of the defence and aerospace sectors and recalled that an airfield strip is being developed in Adilabad district.Around 30% of the defence and aerospace industries are based in Hyderabad, making the city an important hub for these sectors, the chief secretary said.For the air show, chief minister A Revanth Reddy met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh to request support and permissions. A formal letter has been sent to request the defence minister’s inauguration of the Raksha Expo.Sanjay Jaju directed officials to ensure participation of industry bodies such as FICCI, ASSOCHAM, SIDM and MSMEs, along with public and private sector organisations in the defence and aerospace sectors. Leading organisations such as HAL, BEL and BDL are expected to showcase their products at the expo.In view of the ongoing modernisation of police and paramilitary forces across the country, he directed officials to invite DGPs of all states to participate in the expo. The CS also told officials to undertake extensive publicity for the Raksha Expo through standees at prominent locations in Hyderabad, short films, brochures and social media platforms. He stressed the need for effective coordination among all departments and agencies to ensure the successful conduct of the expo.State-level eventThis event is distinct from the civil aviation air show that happens at Begumpet, officials said. The planned expo is a state-level defence and aerospace event, a first for any state in India. The national-level defence expo, like the one in Bengaluru, is organised by govt of India and occurs every two years. This Telangana-led initiative aims to showcase Hyderabad’s specific strengths, including its ecosystem of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 SMEs in the supply chain.Officials said the primary goal is to celebrate and showcase the growth of aerospace and defence manufacturing in Telangana to a global audience. “The expo aims to position Hyderabad as the premier ecosystem in India for investment in these sectors. The key features include both indoor and outdoor displays from major aerospace and defence manufacturing companies, along with static display of defence equipment. Since the event is not at an airbase, there won’t be aircraft take-offs and sorties. The govt is also planning drone shows and air shows, and the Indian Air Force has been requested to support the air show component.”Focusing on ecosystemOfficial sources said the expo will highlight the strong defence and research hub in Telangana, which includes a dozen DRDO labs and defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs). This established presence has fostered industry growth, attracting foreign companies and enabling local SMEs to capitalise on opportunities in the private sector.The event will serve as a forum for investment promotion, allowing global company leaders to share their experiences with the Telangana govt. The goal is to facilitate interactions and share experiences, ultimately leading to more high-paying manufacturing jobs and increased exports.By facilitating direct dialogue, the govt hopes to build confidence among global leaders.