Aero India to showcase India as emerging hub for defence manufacturing

Over 250 partnerships, including 201 MoUs, major announcements at Aero India will be held at Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bengaluru from February 10-14

India's biennial aerospace exhibition Aero India will be held at Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bengaluru from February 10-14 and it will showcase the country as an emerging hub for manufacturing of military aircraft, helicopters, equipment and new-age avionics.

The event will include both air displays and static exhibitions of a large array of military platforms from the aerospace sector, the defence ministry said on Monday.

"With the broad theme 'The Runway to a Billion Opportunities', the event will provide a platform for forging partnerships between foreign and Indian firms and the discovery of newer avenues in the global value chain to accelerate the indigenisation process," it said.

The five-day event will feature a 'Defence Ministers' Conclave, CEOs' round-table and a large exhibition comprising India Pavilion and a trade fair of aerospace companies.

The first three days of the event will be business days, while February 13 and 14 have been set as public days to allow people to witness the show.

The India Pavilion will highlight the country's commitment to its Make-in-India initiative by showcasing indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities and cutting-edge technologies ready for the global stage, the ministry said.

"Promotion of Indian start-ups is a focus area at Aero India 2025 and a wide spectrum of state-of-the-art technologies/products developed by them will be showcased," it said.

The CEOs' round-table is expected to provide a favourable platform to foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for manufacturing in India, the ministry said.

"In addition, dynamic aerobatic displays and live technology demonstrations will provide an immersive experience, showcasing the potential of modern aerospace platforms and technologies," the ministry said in a statement.

It said a number of seminars on various important themes are also planned as part of the event.

The last edition of Aero India achieved "remarkable milestones" as it attracted over seven lakh visitors, dignitaries from 98 countries and 809 exhibitors, it said.

Over 250 partnerships, including 201 MoUs, major announcements, product launches and technology transfers worth more than Rs 75,000 crore were witnessed, the ministry said.

The 2025 edition of Aero India aims to surpass these achievements, and promises to be even bigger in scope and grandeur, it added.