The 14th edition of Aero India is hosting a range of activities, including a Defence Ministers’ conclave and a CEOs round table, as well as an air show, seminars and exhibitions. The Indian government is expected to finalize 251 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth ₹75,000 crore during the three business days, which will be the conclusion of the event. This year’s event is the largest-ever, with 98 countries participating, and Defence Ministers of 32 countries, Air Chiefs of 29 countries, and 73 CEOs of global and Indian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in attendance.
The Indian government is focusing on promoting indigenous military hardware at the event, with an emphasis on air platforms such as the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas, HTT-40, Dornier Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH). The government hopes to integrate domestic Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups in the global supply chain and attract foreign investments, including partnerships for co-development and co-production.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the event’s importance in showcasing India’s manufacturing capabilities and progress in realizing the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision. He emphasized that a strong and self-reliant defence sector will help India emerge as one of the world’s top three economies, with achievements in the defence sector having a broad impact on the Indian economy. The Defence Ministers’ conclave will address topics related to deepening cooperation for capacity building, investments, joint venture, co-development, co-production, and defence equipment provision, training, space, Artificial Intelligence, and maritime security.
The CEOs round table is expected to promote interaction between the industry and the government to bolster the “Make in India” campaign. It is an opportunity to explore the strength and capabilities of the Indian defence industry in the presence of world’s top business leaders. Additionally, the Manthan event, being organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), will bring the leading innovators, start-ups, MSMEs, incubators, academia, and investors from defence and aerospace ecosystems under one roof.
In a first, European defence majors Airbus and Thales will hold interactions with potential recruitment candidates during the two public days. The event will also host seminars on themes such as India’s Defence Space Initiative, indigenous development of futuristic aerospace technologies, advancement in maritime surveillance equipment and assets, and a separate Karnataka Pavilion showcasing the opportunities available in the state.