Defence minister opens 12th IDEAS in Karachi

KARACHI: The 12th edition of IDEAS (International Defence Exhibition and Seminar)-2024 commenced at the Karachi Expo Centre Tuesday after a grand inauguration ceremony attended by Federal Minister for Defence and Defence Production Khawaja Muhammad Asif as the chief guest. Foreign defence equipment and arms manufacturing companies from many friendly countries are participating in the 12th IDEAS. The IDEAS is a mega-regional event; biennially organized by the Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO). Since its inception in 2000, IDEAS has emerged as an international rendezvous for defence manufacturers, entrepreneurs, R&D specialists, financial experts and top-level policymakers to promote cooperation, knowledge sharing and support ventures in the field of defence collaboration. The event brings together the global defence industry for synergistic businesses and cooperation.

During his inaugural address, the Federal Defence Production Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said that Pakistan offers enormous opportunities for profitable investments, joint ventures and trade in all sectors, including the defence industry. In this regard, IDEAS serves as a regional gateway for international manufacturers and suppliers to explore new avenues of defence cooperation through joint ventures, outsourcing and collaboration. He said the technologies were playing a vital role in confronting modern-day security challenges and their responsible use can make the world a better and safer place.

Pakistan, he said, being a responsible state is always committed to playing its role in international peace, stability and order. Reciprocity, mutual interests and international norms are the guiding principles that govern Pakistan’s relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels, he said. Asif told the audience that the government always believed in a meaningful dialogue based on equality not only to resolve bilateral issues but also to give a chance for peace and harmony in the region. “At our end, we are in collaboration with our partners and are steadfast to this unflinching commitment for peace and stability in the world,” he said.

He said that Pakistan’s defence industry has now reached the threshold of quality and reliability wherein its products were competing in the international defence market. However, to further excel in this domain there is a need for an academia-industry interface, integration of the public-private defence industry and involvement of R&D organizations in the defence manufacturing sector of Pakistan. The federal minister further said Pakistan has the potential to emerge as a global platform for defence research, scientific growth, manufacturing and joint ventures, to strengthen the country’s defence capabilities and spur developments as well as exports in this sector.

Earlier during his welcome address, Major General Asad Nawaz Khan, DG DEPO, welcomed the visiting delegates, foreign and domestic exhibitors, OEMs, trade visitors and participants of IDEAS 2024. During the visit to the exhibition, the federal minister also appreciated that participation of startups by NUST, PMSTAP and NASTP will hone the skills of young entrepreneurs by having interaction with foreign and national defence exhibitors.

The IDEAS 2024 has surpassed all previous milestones in terms of space, booking, exhibitors and delegates, both domestic and foreign. The Karachi Expo Centre has been booked to its full capacity with more than 560 defence equipment exhibitors from 41 countries, including exhibitors from Turkey, China, Iran, the UK, North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Far East. Out of the total exhibitors, 55 per cent are international and 45 per cent are local. Besides trade visitors, more than 350 high-level delegations from 55 countries are visiting the exhibition. The exhibition will continue till 22 November 2024.