(November 28, 2018)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and Former Provincial Minister, Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said that International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) has now become the most successful exhibition of defence products worldwide. The exhibition has started in 2010 with participation of 42 delegations from 15 different countries. In IDEAS-2018, 260 international delegations are participating from 52 different countries while 522 companies from across globe are exhibiting their products. Turkish pavilion is the largest in the exhibition comprised of 1750 Sq. Meters. China, Turkey, Russia, US, France, Germany, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and many other countries are participating in the event bringing the defence products manufacturers closer. Foreign delegations are headed by respective chiefs of armed forces and ministers which effectively serves the purpose of building long term trade ties between the decision makers and trader of defence products.
The Veteran Business Leader while talking to the business community said that Pakistan is growing in respect of defence productions and attaining latest defence technologies. Currently defence exports of the Country stood at $ 300 million which are expected to grow further after IDEAS-2018 as described by the Defence Export Promotion Organization (DEPO).
The Former Minister said that IDEAS is a distinguished defence products exhibition across the globe, which not only exhibit the arms & ammunition but also present the related modern equipment, vehicles and supplies related to logistics, engineering, internal security. It also exhibit latest machinery and equipment required for Air, Land and Maritime defence. Institutions and people from services sector including research and development, laboratories, teaching and training, software houses also interact with the potential customers and offers their services for the development of countries’ defence capabilities in light of latest innovations and developments.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that IDEAS plays an effective role in Business to Business (B2B) meetings between international buyers and sellers of defence products and services. In IDEAS 2016, 264 B2B meetings have been held between delegations of 36 different countries which lead to hundreds of defence agreements between the nations. Pakistan Army, Maritime and Air Force will hold two day conferences to promote Pakistan’s strategic and defence capabilities amongst the participants comprised of civil military authorities of participating countries.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that export oriented industry exhibitions (EXPO) held every year but unable to achieve the desired results of growth in Country’s exports. If TDAP had learnt from IDEAS, the Country wouldn’t have faced trade deficit.
