India to host its 14th Edition of Aero India where they will provide indigenous equipment and also to host foreign partnerships.
According to Military Minister Rajnath Singh, India would address both export potential and joint development of defence equipment during the defence ministers’ conference on February 14 as part of Aero India 2024.
14th Edition of Aero India
Singh was speaking to the media ahead of the 14th edition of Aero India, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch on Monday. The biennial event will be place from February 13 to 17, with 98 countries participating.
Defense ministers from 32 countries, air chiefs from 29 nations, and 73 CEOs from global and Indian OEMs are anticipated to attend the event, which will include 809 defence firms, including MSMEs and start-ups, showcasing unique technologies and growth in the aerospace and defence sector.
The largest-ever Aero India-2024 comes as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its final year this month. Responding to a query on the event being staged amid the war, Singh said: “We want to make India self-reliant and strive to enhance exports”. He stated that attempts are being made to entirely indigenize the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas.Â
Indigenous Equipment
In this biennial event, India will focus on showcasing indigenous equipment. This five day event will also focus on forging partnerships with foreign companies. The theme of this event is ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, and is expected to be attended by about 5 lakh visitors.
Aside from self-reliance in defence, India is looking to diversify its weaponry, the majority of which is now of Soviet provenance. This is clear from the involvement of firms from Russia and the West, as well as the anticipated bilateral engagements.
Major Exhibitors
Some of the major exhibitors of this event are BrahMos Aerospace, HC Robotics, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls Royce, Lockheed Martin, Bharat Forge Limited, Israel Aerospace Industry, Army Aviation, Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Safran, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), BEML and many others.
The event will also highlight design leadership, UAV sector expansion, defence space, and futuristic technology. The event also intends to promote the export of indigenous aviation platforms such as the Tejas LCA, the Dornier Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), the HTT-40, the Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). According to the ministry, this will attract foreign investment and integrate domestic MSMEs and start-ups into the global supply chain.
‘Make in India, Make for the World’
The gathering of defence ministers on the topic ‘Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defense (SPEED)’ will be a major highlight. The defence ministry believed that the conclave will strengthen collaboration in the areas of capacity building (through investments, R&D, joint venture, co-development, co-production, and provisioning of defence equipment), space, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and marine security. The conference provides an opportunity to carry forward the objective of ‘Make in India, Make for the World.’
Bilateral Meetings
A number of bilateral discussions will be held, including those with the defence minister, chief of defence staff, and defence secretary. On February 13, a ‘CEOs Round Table’ will be held, led by the defence minister, and is expected to promote engagement between industry and government. The event will feature CEOs from 26 countries, including Boeing, Israel Aerospace Industries, Lockheed, General Authority of Military Industries (GAMI), General Atomics, Raytheon Technologies, and others, as well as those from domestic PSUs such as HAL, BEL, BDL, BEML Limited, and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited.
MoUs
Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, and BrahMos Aerospace are some of the premier Indian private defence and manufacturing businesses expected to attend.
During the Bandhan event on February 15, about 251 MoUs with an expected investment of Rs 75,000 crore are planned to be inked for partnerships between various Indian and foreign defence firms and organisations.
