The 14th edition of the biennial Aero India 2023 event -- Asia’s largest aero show -- will see the participation of 809 Indian and foreign companies, in which around 251 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), with an expected investment of ₹75,000 crore, are likely to be signed.

In line with the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ vision, a significant focus this time will be on showcasing indigenous military hardware or technologies, and forging partnerships with foreign companies. The event comprises a Defence Ministers’ Conclave; a CEOs Round Table; Manthan start-up event; Bandhan ceremony; breath-taking air shows; a large exhibition; an India Pavilion and a trade fair of aerospace companies.

Organised at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, in a total area of around 35,000 sqm, the event, the biggest-ever to date, will see the participation of 98 countries. The Defence Ministers of 32 countries, Air Chiefs of 29 countries and 73 CEOs of global and Indian OEMs will attend the five-day event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the five-day event in Bengaluru today. The aero show, the theme for which is ‘The runway to a billion opportunities’, will display India’s growth in aerospace and defence capabilities. As per defence minister Rajnath Singh, Aero India 2023 will showcase the country’s manufacturing prowess and the progress achieved towards realising the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, which will contribute to the development of the aerospace and aviation sector in the country.

The aero show this time will have many first, including the defence innovation event Manthan. Being organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Manthan platform will bring the leading innovators, start-ups, MSMEs, incubators, academia and investors from defence & aerospace ecosystem under one roof.

It will have many firsts, including the launch of challenges on cyber security, the establishment of iDEX Investor Hub, and MoUs with investors.

Major exhibitors & equipment

The major exhibitors include Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industry, BrahMos Aerospace, Army Aviation, HC Robotics, SAAB, Safran, Rolls Royce, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and BEML Limited.

Aero India 2023 will also showcase design leadership, growth in the UAVs sector, defence space and futuristic technologies. The event also aims to promote the export of indigenous air platforms like Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Tejas, HTT-40, Dornier Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).

Innovations for Defence Excellence

Aero India 2023: 809 firms to take part; 251 MoUs worth ₹75,000 cr to be inked