A webinar on India-Sweden Defence Industry Cooperation, with the theme ‘Capitalizing Opportunities for Growth and Security’, was organised on June 8, 2021 under the aegis of Department of Defence Production through Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) and Swedish Security and Defence Industry (SOFF). Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh was the Chief Guest, while the Defence Minister of Sweden Mr Peter Hultqvist was the Guest of Honour. Ambassadors and other senior officers of Defence Ministries of the two countries; representatives of Indian and Swedish Defence Industries and officials of SIDM and SOFF also attended the webinar. In his inaugural address,
Shri Rajnath Singh listed out several progressive policy and procedural reforms undertaken by the Government that have transformed the defence industry to meet domestic as well as global demand. The motto of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan’ is ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make for the World’, he said. He invited Swedish firms to invest in Defence Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. On the occasion, an MoU was signed between SIDM and SOFF to promote bilateral defence industrial relations wherein a dedicated Joint Working Group will be formed to take forward mutual objectives. Shri Rajnath Singh also released the first edition of the ‘SIDM Members Directory 2020-21’—A 360º Overview of the Indian Defence and Aerospace Sector’.
