New Delhi: India will host the AeroIndia-2021 air show in Bengaluru only on business days from Feb. 3 to 5, to conform to global COVID-19 pandemic safety standards and precautions.
Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, who carried out a review of the air show preparations, directed the organisers, Defence Exhibition Organisation, that the biennial event be held on business days only.
Rajnath Singh issued the direction to the organisers, so as to keep the focus of the AeroIndia-2021 on achieving traction for the aerospace and defence industries, which has faced numerous challenges in 2020 due to the Coronavirus-linked lock down and embargo-cum-restrictions on travel, according to a Ministry of Defence statement today.
“The event conforms to current international guidelines for exhibitions and that the event is planned to be a business focused exhibition. The public, which is usually enthralled with the visuals of the air display, will witness this year’s edition in virtual mode to make way for the safe in-person interactions between global aerospace and defence businesses so as to forge partnerships in the new year.”
The 2021 event has received tremendous interest with the space being sold out and 500-plus registered exhibitors. Senior representatives of foreign missions at New Delhi were briefed in early Oct. 2020 about AeroIndia-2021 well in advance with a view to encourage the presence of their leaders and senior-most decision makers and thereafter formal invites have been extended.
AeroIndia-2021 promises to showcase India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities, as also seek investments in India owing to a series of policy initiatives in defence such as increase in Foreign Direct Investment to 74 per cent through automatic route, the Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020, revised Defence Offset guidelines to promote investment in India for co-development and co-production, as also the draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 (DPEPP 2020) during the pandemic period of 2020.
Rajnath Singh reaffirmed India’s resolve to be among the top five countries of the world in aerospace and defence manufacturing. He said ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat‘ was the centrepiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s vision and that India’s aerospace and defence sector has matured and is continuously exploring mutually beneficial partnerships with friendly countries to set up industries in India for Indian manufactured defence equipment for India and for the world.
The minister urged that the Indian missions be impressed upon to coordinate the efforts for the event and impress upon the leadership and industry captains of the Foreign countries to participate in AeroIndia-2021 at a senior level, so as to dive deep into the strategic and business opportunities available in India.
He expressed confidence that AeroIndia-2021 will demonstrate India’s ability to take the lead and further build on our strengths in the post-COVID world.
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