India Displays Indigenous Defence Arsenal to Twelve Nations at PRAGATI 2026
May 30, 2026
FICCI and Indian Army launch the multilateral defence industry exposition in Meghalaya, targeting export opportunities
Umroi, Shillong, 30 May 2026: India opened its most expansive indigenous defence showcase to allied nations on Friday as 52 defence companies demonstrated advanced military technologies to senior military delegations from twelve friendly foreign countries at the inaugural PRAGATI 2026 exposition, held at Foreign Training Node Umroi in Meghalaya.
The two-day Defence Industry Equipment Display, running 30–31 May, is organised by FICCI in collaboration with Headquarters Eastern Command and the Army Design Bureau of the Indian Army alongside the first-ever Multilateral Joint Exercise PRAGATI — an acronym for Partnership of Regional Armies for Growth and Transformation in the Indian Ocean Region. The exposition was inaugurated by Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, Vice Chief of the Army Staff, in the presence of senior military leadership and representatives from participating nations.
Participating friendly foreign countries include Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Senior military delegations, defence attachés, procurement heads, and strategic stakeholders from these nations are engaging directly with Indian industry across indoor and outdoor display areas designed to deliver a world-class exhibition experience.
Of the 52 participating organisations, 47 are private-sector defence companies — including MSMEs and start-ups — alongside five Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), reflecting the depth of India's emerging private defence industrial base.
The exposition covers a broad spectrum of defence domains: UAVs and counter-UAV systems, surveillance and smart monitoring, secure communications, armament and ammunition, autonomous and robotic systems, AI-enabled defence solutions, electronic warfare, cyber defence, and medical survivability equipment. Specific capabilities on display include ISR and loitering munition drones, swarm technologies, anti-drone systems, artillery guns, air defence platforms, multi-barrel rocket launch systems, robotic mules, unmanned ground and maritime vehicles, thermal and night-vision devices, precision ammunition, simulators, and ruggedised cyber-hardened platforms.
Structured as a Business-to-Government (B2G) engagement platform, the exposition enables direct interaction between Indian industry representatives and senior military leadership from partner nations. A dedicated networking reception with vice chiefs and senior delegates from participating countries has been organised to facilitate strategic dialogue and lay the groundwork for future defence cooperation.
The second day of the exposition, 31 May, will extend engagement to Central Armed Police Forces and state police organisations, broadening the scope to include homeland security requirements, modernisation priorities, and indigenous technology solutions for internal security — a dimension that reinforces India's ambition to serve regional security needs beyond conventional military supply.
The exposition reflects three interlinked policy objectives that India has articulated with increasing urgency: Raksha Aatmanirbhar — self-reliance in defence manufacturing; Vasudhaiv Kutumbhakam — the principle that the world constitutes one family; and a commitment to co-development and co-creation with strategic partners.