Rajnath reviews preparations for Aero India; 731 exhibitors registered already

The 14th edition of Aero India, billed as Asia's largest aerospace exhibition, will be held in Bengaluru from February 13 to 17

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday reviewed the preparations for what would be India’s biggest Aero show organised at Air Force Station, Yelahanka with confirmed participation of 731 exhibitors at the moment.

The air show that began in 1996 with a handful of companies, has grown in size over the years with more than 600 firms participating in the last two editions. This time the participation has already crossed 700 and some more are likely to register in the next three weeks.

Being organised against the backdrop of the Indian Air Force’s plan to buy 110 medium multi-role combat jets to replenish its MiG-21 fleet and the Indian Navy’s search for more deck-borne fighters, Aero-India 2023 is to be attended not only by aviation majors from both sides of the Atlantic but also companies looking for business in lucrative Indian military market.

India emerged as one of the top five countries on military spending in 2021 with an expenditure of $ 76.6 billion in 2021 - the third highest in the world, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute which tracks arms sales around the world. This was up by 0.9% from 2020 and by 33% from 2012.

Singh said Aero India 2023 would not just be an isolated event, but a display of the growing prowess of the defence and aerospace sector and the rise of a strong and self-reliant ‘New India’. The biennial show comes at a time when India’s defence export crossed Rs 13,000 crore with New Delhi setting a target of Rs 35,000 crore worth of military export by 2025.

The 4th edition of the show between February 13-17 with the theme of ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, will be held in an area of around 35,000 sq m with participation from more than 80 countries. A CEO's roundtable would be one of the key attractions of the show.

The Defence Minister commended Bengaluru for successfully organising all the editions of Aero India, observing that the event was shaping Karnataka as an epicentre of the aviation and aerospace industry. “The state is known for its skilled manpower and robust defence manufacturing ecosystem. It is a preferred centre for manufacturing and R&D activities for domestic and multinational defence and aviation companies,” he said.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and other senior officials attended the review meeting physically whereas Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his team joined through video conferencing.