Defence minister to inaugurate Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru on Monday

The 15th edition of Aero India, Asia's largest aerospace and defence exhibition, will be held at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru from February 10 to 14

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday called Aero India a pivotal platform for advancing the government's vision of a strong, capable, secure, and self-reliant India. He made the remarks a day before he was set to inaugurate the 15th edition of Aero India, Asia’s largest aerospace and defence exhibition, which will be held at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

 

Addressing a press conference in the same city, he also expressed confidence that domestic defence production, having reached a record Rs 1.27 trillion in FY 2023-24 (FY24), will exceed Rs 1.60 trillion by FY26. He also projected that defence exports, which hit a record Rs 21,000 crore, will surpass Rs 30,000 crore.

 

 

"Aero India is a platform that showcases the strength, resilience, and self-reliance of 'New India'. It is not just crucial for India's defence preparedness, but it also plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our nation," stated the defence minister. He added that the five-day event, themed 'The Runway to a Billion Opportunities', will not only demonstrate India’s defence capabilities but also foster global partnerships. The 15th edition of Aero India will take place from February 10 to 14.

 

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) release from the same day stated that the event, spread over 42,000 square metres, will be the biggest-ever Aero India to date, with over 900 exhibitors, including 150 foreign companies, confirmed to participate. The defence minister also described the presence of representatives from more than 90 countries as a testament to the growing global confidence in India's aerospace and defence capabilities.

 

Highlighting the recent transformation of the defence and aerospace sector, the defence minister asserted that India is now not only capable of designing and developing major platforms and equipment domestically but has also successfully built a vast supply chain within the country. “Advanced platforms like Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter Prachand, and C-295 Transport Aircraft are now being produced in India. We have also taken a firm resolve to manufacture fifth-generation fighter aircraft within the country,” he said.

 

The event will also see Defence Minister Singh host the Defence Ministers’ Conclave on February 11 in hybrid mode, themed "Building Resilience through International Defence and Global Engagement (BRIDGE)," with participation expanding this year to include representatives from over 80 countries, including around 30 defence ministers, along with defence and service chiefs and permanent secretaries from friendly nations.

 

The CEOs Roundtable on February 10, also chaired by the defence minister, will see increased participation under the theme "Enabling Defence Cooperation through Global Engagement (EDGE)," with over 100 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) confirmed—55 from 19 countries, including the US, France, Russia, South Korea, UK, Japan, Israel, and Brazil, alongside 35 Indian firms such as Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge, Adani Defence, Mahindra Defence, BrahMos Aerospace, and Ashok Leyland Defence, and 16 Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

 

During Aero India 2025, major foreign OEMs, including Airbus (France), Ultra Maritime (USA), GNT (South Korea), John Cockerill Defence (UK), Mitsubishi (Japan), Rafael Advance Defence System (Israel), Safran (France), and Liebherr Aerospace (France), will showcase their future plans, joint ventures, and partnerships with Indian firms for spare parts production, aero-engine development, setting up maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, and establishing research and development centres.

 

For the first time, Aero India 2025 will feature two of the world’s most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft—the Russian Sukhoi Su-57 and the American Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.