Panaji, Mar 18 (KNN) Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that Goa is an ideal location for a premier defence hub owing to its access to shipyards and its MSMEs engaged in manufacturing shipping components.

Goa has the potential to become a hub for defence manufacturing which in turn can create significant economic opportunities for the country and for the state, he said. 

He was speaking at Manohar Parrikar Memorial Lecture on Indigenisation of Bharat’s Defence.

CM Sawant called for industry-academia interactions to help bridge the gap between innovations and the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces.

“We welcome defence-related activity and services that will contribute to our nation’s defence,” he said.

The chief minister also said that Goa has strong prospects of becoming a logistics hub. 

Goa already houses the Konkan maritime cluster for shipbuilding at Verna, which will generate 3,000 jobs, said the CM. 

He said that Goa’s air, water, and road connectivity provides strategic advantages to India’s defence industry.  (KNN Bureau)