New Delhi, Feb. 12: Howitzers, rocket launchers, mortars, tanks, armoured carriers, machine guns, carbines and pistols — from the biggest weapons of war to the smallest instruments to kill — all will be on display in Asia’s largest arms bazaar to be hosted by India next week.

Organised by the defence ministry, the 6th Land and Naval Defence Systems Exhibition (Defexpo) will bring in more than 650 weapons-makers from 35 countries.

“The number of Indian firms has nearly doubled since the last Defexpo in 2008,” defence production secretary R.K. Singh said here today.

This is largely because of an offsets policy — that requires foreign vendors to re-invest 30 per cent or more of the value of a contract into India.

More than anything else, the representation from across the globe of military hardware majors is a demonstration of India’s intentions. The US India Business Council’s representatives today said India could potentially buy up to $100 billion worth of weapons over the next 10 years — or $10 billion every year up to 2020.

Official delegations from more than 41 countries will be visiting the exhibition in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan to check out the weapons. Not surprisingly, Pakistan and China have not been invited.

The US and Israel have booked the largest spaces, reflecting India’s increasing keenness to multi-source defence equipment after relying on Russia for decades. More than 20 British companies are also participating. The UK and Israeli delegations will put up shows mimicking battle front scenarios with professional soldiers who have been in actual operations.