SOURCE: TIMES NOW
?The Ministry of Defence on Friday took in-principle decision to hold the next edition of Aero India in Bengaluru from February 3 to 7 next year. The announcement would come as a relief to many potential participants who were anxiously waiting on the final schedule of the airshow amid coronavirus concerns.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with officials and reviewed roadmap for next year’s Aero India, which is regarded as the biggest airshow in Asia. He held a number of internal meetings before confirming the final schedule of the airshow.
The ministry took the decision after taking inputs from the domestic defence industry and global aerospace majors.
According to sources, a significant number of global defence majors and big investors are expected to participate in the event besides official delegations from several countries.
The defence ministry plans to showcase its initiatives in promoting India’s defence manufacturing at the event.
The event, which has been hosted in Bengaluru since its inception in 1996, will be held while taking maximum precaution against the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier on August 9, Rajnath Singh had announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024.
India is one of the largest importers of arms globally. According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are projected to spend around $130 billion in capital procurement in the next five years. The government now wants to reduce dependence on imported military platforms and decided to support domestic defence manufacturing.
The defence ministry has set a goal of a turnover of $25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing in the next five years that included an export target of $5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware.
