MSMEs urged to tap defence sector opportunities - The HinduPublished - July 15, 2026 10:21 pm IST - TIRUPATI(L-R) Hindustan Shipyard Deputy General Manager Ravi Kumar, Bharat Chamber of Commerce Secretary General Keka Sharma, AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation Executive Vice-President B. Rajasekhar, HSL Chief General Manager D. Srinivasa Rao, Director (Finance & Commercial) Kiran Easankarala, Department of Defence Production Deputy Director-General (DIRW) K.K. Yadav, MSME Development & Facilitation Office Joint Director R. Senthil Kumar, Defence Production Director (NDCD) Neeraj Kumar, QAE (Naval) Quality Assurance Officer Captain S.U. Nair, MSME Technology Centre DGM G. Prasada Reddy and Bharat Chamber of Commerce Secretary Avik Roy at the MSME conclave held in Tirupati on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENTAt the State-level MSME conclave on ‘India’s Defence Sector: A new era for MSMEs’ held in Tirupati on Wednesday, speakers highlighted that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) could tap into the new avenues opening up in the defence production sector.The conclave was conducted by Bharat Chamber of Commerce (Kolkata), in association with the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. Hindustan Shipyard Limited was the ‘Nodal Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU),’ and the AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation was the supporting chamber. The event aimed at outlining business opportunities available to MSMEs in and around Tirupati and to enable them to become part of the ever-expanding defence manufacturing and export business.Shubham Bansal, Director of Industries, Commerce and Export Promotion, who participated virtually, highlighted that the aerospace and defence sectors offer immense potential, and MSMEs can play a great role. He also shared that the department was actively exploring additional support measures through the proposed industrial housing policy aimed at enhancing the State’s competitiveness.K.K. Yadav, Deputy Director-General (DIRW), Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, explained that the Union Budget for 2026-27 allocated over ₹7 lakh crore for defence, with 75% of the capital procurement budget amounting to nearly ₹1.39 lakh crore, meant for procurement from domestic industries.“The private sector contributed 24% of India’s domestic defence production in FY 2025-26, and is expected to rise to 30% in the current fiscal,” Mr. Yadav added.Kiran Easankarala, Director (Finance & Commercial), Hindustan Shipyard Limited, pointed to the changing geopolitical landscape and the recent global conflicts to drive home the need for India to build a strong indigenous maritime industrial base.Neeraj Kumar, Director (NDCD), Department of Defence Production, outlined the comprehensive policy framework aimed at promoting indigenous design, development and manufacturing through Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) 2025, iDEX, Defence Industrial Corridors and the Defence Investment Cell.D. Srinivasa Rao, chief general manager, commercial department, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., highlighted HSL’s rich legacy and strategic importance as a premier defence public sector undertaking.Dwelling on ‘Indigenisation Opportunities for MSMEs’, Piyush Kumar, director (Indigenisation), Department of Defence Production, said: “Being Indigenous is a key pillar of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat,’ and it aims at reducing import dependence.Abdul R. Owaisi, Lead (Monitoring & Evaluation), PM–SETU, Department of Skill Development, Employment & Training (DSET) spoke on ‘PM–SETU and Defence’ and highlighted the department’s strategic partnerships through MoUs.Published - July 15, 2026 10:21 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }