New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the 14th edition of Asia's largest aero show -- Aero India 2023 - in Bengaluru today.
"Aero India is an example of the expanding capabilities of India. The presence of around 100 nations here shows that the trust of the world in India has increased. More than 700 exhibitors from India and the world are participating. It has broken all the past records," Modi said during the event.
"Today, Aero India is not only a show, but also reflection of India's self confidence," he said.
The five-day event will focus on displaying indigenous equipment/technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the theme of Aero India 2023 is "The Runway to a Billion Opportunities".
Participation by more than 80 countries
Aero India 2023 witnessed participation by more than 80 countries. Ministers of about 30 countries and 65 CEOs of global and Indian OEMs are likely to participate in Aero India 2023.
Aero India 2023 exhibition witnessed the participation of more than 800 Defence companies including around 100 foreign and 700 Indian companies.
The Indian companies participating in the exhibition included MSMEs and start-ups, which will showcase the advancement of niche technologies, and growth in aerospace and defence capabilities in the country.
Major exhibitors in Aero India
Major exhibitors in Aero India 2023 include Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industry, BrahMos Aerospace, Army Aviation, HC Robotics, SAAB, Safran, Rolls Royce, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and BEML Limited.
As per the Ministry of Defence, the five-day event will radiate the rise of a strong and self-reliant 'New India' by displaying India's growth in aerospace and defence capabilities.
The focus will be on showcasing indigenous equipment or technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies, in line with the 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision for a secure and prosperous future.
Addressing the curtain raiser press conference in Bengaluru on Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the Aero India 2023 will showcase the country's manufacturing prowess and the progress achieved towards realising the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' as envisioned by the Prime Minister.
"This event will significantly contribute to the development of the aerospace and aviation sector," he said.
Singh said that February 13 to 15 will be business days, while 16 and 17 have been set as public days to allow people to witness the show.
Record international participation
Singh termed the record of international participation as the reflection of not just India's buyer-seller ties with different countries, but also their shared vision of global prosperity.
The Defence Minister emphasised that Aero India 2023 will provide a renewed thrust to the Government's efforts to create a vibrant and world-class domestic defence industry in order to achieve the goal of 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence as well as the overall development of the nation.
"A strong and self-reliant defence sector will play a pivotal role in helping India emerge as one of the top three world economies in the times to come. Achievements in the defence sector provide wide spin-off benefits to the Indian economy. The technologies developed in the field are equally useful for civilian purposes. In addition, a temperament towards science & technology and innovation is created in the society, which helps in the overall development of the nation," he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also host Defence Ministers' Conclave on February 14
Defence Ministers of friendly foreign countries will participate in the meeting, which has been organised on the theme 'Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence (SPEED). The conclave would address aspects related to deepening cooperation for capacity building (through investments, R&D, joint venture, co-development, co-production and provisioning of defence equipment), training, space, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and maritime security to grow together. The conclave is an opportunity for the defence ministers to engage with each other to carry forward the 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision.
Singh termed the Defence Ministers' Conclave as an extremely important event, which he said, will justify its theme by providing 'SPEED' to the increasing defence cooperation with friendly countries.
A number of bilateral meetings will be held on the sidelines of Aero India among defence ministers, ministers of state for defence, chiefs of defence staff and defence secretaries.
The annual defence innovation event, Manthan, will be the flagship technology showcase event to be held on February 15
Being organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Manthan platform will bring the leading innovators, start-ups, MSMEs, incubators, academia and Investors from defence and aerospace ecosystem under one roof. The Raksha Mantri will preside over the event.
The 'India Pavilion', based on 'Fixed Wing Platform' theme, will showcase India's growth in the area, including the future prospects.
There will be a total of 115 companies, displaying 227 products. It will further showcase the growth of India in developing an ecosystem for Fixed Wing platform which includes the demonstrating of various structural modules, simulators, systems (LRUs) etc. of LCA-Tejas aircraft being produced by Private Partners.
There will also be a section for Defence space, New Technologies and a UAV section which will give an insight about the growth of India in each sector.
A full scale LCA-Tejas aircraft in Full Operational Capability (FOC) configuration will be at the center stage of India Pavilion.
