Hyderabad, August 2026: Supporting India’s vision to become a global hub for defence manufacturing, the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) today hosted the 2nd edition of the Defence MSME Manufacturers Forum (DMMF) at Taj Deccan, Hyderabad. The forum, under the theme “Make in India for the World: Empower MSMEs for India’s Defence & Aerospace Future,” was attended by senior government officials, policymakers, DPSUs, OEMs, industry leaders, startups, and MSMEs to discuss and deliberate on issues concerning India’s defence and aerospace manufacturing environment.
The Indian defence industry is witnessing an unparalleled era of growth due to the emphasis of the Government of India towards self-reliance, manufacturing and technology. The production of the defence goods was ₹1.78 lakh crore in the fiscal year of 2025-26 while the export of the defence goods was ₹38,000 crore which indicates that India has established itself as a trustworthy exporter of defence goods and technologies globally. The policy changes along with increased procurement have made MSMEs contribute significantly to the defence supply chain of India.
Hyderabad, widely regarded as India’s Defence Capital, continues to play a pivotal role in this transformation. The city is home to leading Defence Public Sector Undertakings, DRDO laboratories, missile and aerospace manufacturing facilities, defence electronics companies, advanced engineering firms and a rapidly expanding network of technology-driven MSMEs and startups.
The opening session also featured addresses by Chief Guest, Shri Krishna Aditya, IAS, Special Secretary, Department of Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana special guests like, Cmde P. R. Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairman & Managing Director, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. and Chairman, National Expert Committee on Defence, Aerospace & Space, ICC, Vishnu Malpani, Executive Director, Azad Engineering Ltd.; Shri Praveen P.A., Director, Aerospace & Defence, Government of Telangana; Shri Nikhil Chakravarthy J. (IA&AS), Director, Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana; Dr. S. V. S. Narayana Murty, Chairman & Managing Director, MIDHANI and Dr. Rajeev Singh, Director General, Indian Chamber of Commerce
During the session, ICC also released the report “MSMEs – A Force Multiplier for India’s Defence Ecosystem Edition 2 and the introduction of the Southern Region Defence Chair.”
The forum emphasized enhancing the participation of MSMEs in India’s defence and aerospace manufacturing supply chain, along with fostering cooperation among industry, start-ups, academic institutions, research organizations, and government officials. In addition to this, the forum aimed at establishing Telangana as an important destination for defence, aerospace, electronics, and advanced manufacturing.
One of the most important features of the conference was the B2B and B2G meeting sessions that ensured the interaction of MSMEs, defence companies, OEMs, Defence PSUs, and government officials directly.
The event witnessed participation from several prominent industry leaders, including Baddam Karunakar Reddy, Founder & Managing Director, Apollo Microsystems Ltd.; Rohit Anand, Vice President – Supply Chain, Skyroot Aerospace; Y. Pothuraju, Chief General Manager, Apollo Microsystems Ltd.; Y. Ranga Rao, Founder & Managing Director, Electro Circuit Systems Pvt. Ltd.; Pranit Mehta, Co-founder, GalaxEye Space; Dinesh Nopani, General Manager – Finance, Centum Electronics Ltd.; Y. Srinivas, General Manager, Magtorq Pvt. Ltd.; Lakshminarasimhan Sundarrajan, Founder & CEO, triOSpace Security Solutions; Tarun Jain, Head – Supply Chain Management, Defence & Aerospace, L&T Precision Engineering & Systems; Capt. (IN) S. Sanooj (Retd.), Additional General Manager, Bharat Dynamics Ltd.; Dhruv Mangal, Director, EY, and several other industry experts.
The second edition of the Defence MSME Manufacturers Forum (DMMF) saw a reaffirmation of commitment towards fostering greater cooperation between the government and the private sector, empowerment of MSMEs, indigenization of technology, and India’s vision of becoming a world-class defence manufacturer.
