Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will virtually inaugurate the Indigenisation Summit on Defence and Aerospace this year (ISDA 2021), with an aim to provide a boost to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in the state and nurture it as a potential supplier to India's booming defence sector.

Uttar Pradesh additional home secretary (ACS) Awanish Awasthi, while speaking on the matter a day ago, said that the state's MSME industry can become a reliable supplier to the country's defence sector with the "right guidance" on the requirement of materials.

"Uttar Pradesh has the largest base of MSMEs, which can be effectively tapped to become potential suppliers to our defence sector with the right guidance on the requirements," reports quoted Awasthi as saying. "ISDA aims to take a step in this direction."

Awasthi said that the Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), being the nodal agency for the development of the UP defence corridor can further embolden the move with its lucrative land rates, enabling policies and the upcoming facilitation centre near the Chaudhary Charan Singh (CCS) International Airport near Lucknow.

Notably, Awanish Awasthi is the chief executive officer (CEO) of UPEIDA. Along with the industrial development body, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) has also called upon the MSME industry to explore business opportunities in the defence sector, he said.

ISDA 2021 is being organised from July 28 to 31 virtually in Uttar Pradesh, to help the MSMEs integrate better with the defence sector.

Meanwhile, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath will later in the day attend a meeting chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda in Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday, news agencies reported citing party insiders familiar with the matter.

The meeting is being held ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly election scheduled for next year, the reports said, adding that Adityanath, along with his two deputies -- Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya -- will also be present in the meeting.