Ministry of Commerce and Industry Government of India INDO PACIFIC Defense & Security Expo & Conference 18th - 20th March, 2021

Including Sessions on Topical Strategic Issues

* Strategic Collaborations in the Indo Pacific Region for a Better World * Synergising a Regulatory Ecosystem for Conformal Trade Invited Partner Countries • Australia • Bangladesh • Bhutan • Cambodia • Indonesia • Israel • Japan • Laos • • Mauritius • Myanmar • Nepal • Philippines • Russia • Singapore • South Korea • Sri Lanka • Taiwan • Thailand • UAE • USA • Vietnam

Knowledge Partner Sessions’ Partner BACKGROUND NOTE

Recent Developments in the Indo-Pacific region: The Indian ocean region is an area of interest to global powers because of 28 states, spans across three continents and covers 17.5% of global land area. è The Indian Ocean holds 16.8% of the world's proven oil reserves and 27.9% of proven natural gas reserve. è Indian Ocean economies accounted for 35.5% of global iron production and 17.8% of world gold production in 2017. è The region was also responsible for 28% of global fish capture in 2016, and there has been a continuous increase in fish capture in the region since the 1950s. è This has created a successful basis for export industries in a number of countries. For example, Indonesia and India accounted for around 4.5% of global frozen fish exports in 2017. India has pacts with six Nations that have interest in the Indo-Pacific region. They are US, France, Singapore, South Korea, Australia and Japan. Advanced discussions are also on with Russia to ink the pact soon. India and the UK are also in the final stages of signing a defence logistics sharing pact. Through these logistics pacts India would not only have access to the entry and exit points in the Indian Ocean, but reach and presence at strategic locations in the Indo-Pacific. Earlier in July 2020, India and Indonesia signed an MoU on 'Maritime Safety and Security' as part of their Indo-Pacific visions to establish rules-based. This MoU will strengthen cooperation by augmenting information exchange mechanisms. This real time Maritime Domain. The MoU will also provide avenues to improve inter-operability and carry out joint search and rescue when required. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as the Quad, is an informal strategic forum between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by semi-regular summits, information exchanges and military drills between member countries. The forum was initiated as a dialogue in 2007 by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, with support from India, US and Australia. The Dialogue was paralleled by joint military exercises of an unprecedented scale, titled Exercise Malabar. India, Japan, and the United States continued to hold joint naval exercises through Malabar till 2019. In 2020 Australia joined the Malabar exercise after invite from India making it the first time all Members of the Quad will be engaged militarily. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad was held in Tokyo on 6 October 2020 which focussed on the issue of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of China's increasingly aggressive behaviour across the region. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Mr. Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Mr. Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Mr. Mike Pompeo attended the Meeting. With the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), fourth and the last in the series of Foundational Agreements between India and US, in October 2020, it became a historic day in India and US relations. These foundational agreements are provide seamless exchange of information, intelligence and assets of the partner countries. The journey of these Agreements has spanned over two decades with the signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), signed. The most recent agreement, was signed in 2020 when US Secretary of State and Defence Secretary were in India for the third edition of the 2+2 dialogue between the two countries. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) provides for real-time exchange of geo- spatial intelligence through advanced satellite imagery, topographical and aeronautical digital data for long-range navigation and pinpointed strikes against enemy targets. With the signing of these Foundational Agreements, the relations between India and US have been further strengthen and are expected to shape the role in India pacific region and its diplomatic footprint with the countries in region. India has been supporting many countries in the Indo-Pacific region such as: è Myanmar formally commissioned an Indian ship into its Navy on 26 December 2020. India had delivered INS Sindhuvir to Myanmar in October. The named the Indian ship UMS Minye Theinkhathu. It is the first submarine in the Myanmar Navy's arsenal. The former Soviet-era submarine was in operation in the since 1988. è India announced the implementation of the High Speed Guard Boat (HSGB) Manufacturing Project for Vietnam Border Guard Command under the US$ 100 million Defence Line of Credit extended by Government of India to Vietnam in the India - Vietnam Virtual Summit on 21 December 2020. The handing over of one completed HSGB to Vietnam, launch of two HSGBs manufactured in India and keel-laying of seven HSGBs to be manufactured in Vietnam was also announced in the summit. è Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam completed the refit of Maldivian Ship MNDF CGS Huravee. It was handed over at Visakhapatnam on 25 Nov 20. The ship had arrived in Visakhapatnam for its refit on 22 Feb 20. MNDF CGS Huravee (originally INS Tillanchang) is an indigenously built Trinkat class patrol vessel constructed at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata in 2001. Subsequently, it was gifted to Maldives by the Government of India in 2006 to strengthen the partnership between the two nations and to cooperate further for the maritime safety of the Indian Ocean Region. è On 9 September 2020, India provided a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to the Maldives National Defence Force (MDNF). The Dornier aircraft will operate under the command and control of MNDF while running costs will be borne by India. It will assist in ongoing joint surveillance activities by India and the Maldives of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Seven MDNF personnel, including pilots, air observers and engineers are being trained to operate the Dornier by the Indian Navy. The aircraft is provided by the Indian Navy in line with an inter-governmental agreement. The Dornier will also complement medical evacuation operations currently being conducted by MNDF helicopters. More than 250 Maldivian lives have been saved during such medical evacuation flights. It has never been more important that India brings its allied countries together in the Indo-Pacific Region. The ASSOCHAM, India’s Apex Chamber of Commerce & Industry with the support of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, in association with EY as ‘Knowledge Partner’, and Primus Partners as ‘Sessions’ Partner’ is organizing the ‘Indo Pacific Defence & Security Expo & Conference’ with focus on existing and emerging major Partners in the region. The Indo Pacific Defence & Security Expo & Conference endeavours to showcase cutting edge technologies through the virtual exhibition and knowledge sharing amongst the partner countries in the Indo Pacific Region through focussed Sessions based on tropical strategics issues. The Focus countries are as follows: ¤ Australia ¤ Japan ¤ Philippines ¤ Thailand ¤ Bangladesh ¤ Laos ¤ Russia ¤ UAE ¤ Bhutan ¤ Maldives ¤ Singapore ¤ USA ¤ Cambodia ¤ Mauritius ¤ South Korea ¤ Vietnam ¤ Indonesia ¤ Myanmar ¤ Sri Lanka ¤ Israel ¤ Nepal ¤ Taiwan By enhancing the bilateral and multilateral relations with the countries in the Indi-Pacific Region, India hopes to create a more vibrant economic corridor with exchange of commerce & trade, defence, technologies and skill set. STALL/BOOTH CHARGES Rs. 12,500 for ASSOCHAM Non-Members (165 US$ for International Companies) Rs. 10,000 for ASSOCHAM Members only

PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS

Categories ) age ` enue tnership tual V tual Stalls ar anding P obby aculty lounge P Amount ( In between the sessions during session breaks you can display the logos Exterior of the Vir Session Hall On the event website Vir L L Information booth F

Platinum Sponsor `3,00,000 2

Gold Sponsor `2,00,000 1

Silver Sponsor `1,00,000 1

Please contact ASSOCHAM for confirmations Sachin Sharma Dheeraj Kumar Pandey Pulkit Mishra Deepanshu Shokeen M# +91-97111 82107 M# +91-95822 53201 M# +91-99717 57450 M# +91-70422 29368 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

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