Rajnath reviews preparation for Aero India – 21

Bengaluru: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the preparation for Aero India - 21 during the Apex Committee Meeting in Bengaluru on Friday. Aero India 2021 is a keenly anticipated three-day event scheduled to be held from February 3.

The event is unique as it will be the world's first hybrid exhibition wherein a business element of the event will be both physical as well as virtual.

During the meeting, Rajnath Singh emphasised the need for safe conduct of the event and making it inclusive for the world aero and defence (A&D) industry. He said that the hybrid model of Aero India - 21 should be the template for the world to emulate in the new normal till the concerns of the pandemic are addressed.

Aero India-21 is being held simultaneously as a physical as well as virtual exhibition. Stalls will be arranged both in physical and virtual realms which will result in greater engagement and the exhibitors will experience a greater outreach catering to those who could not join the event physically. The Defence minister noted that the attendees joining the event virtually could participate in Seminars, interact with the exhibitors and representatives, hold B2B meetings and could also view the product details and supporting videos.

Aero India being one of the Major International Aerospace and Defence (A&D) exhibitions, requires active participation, shared responsibility and synchronised efforts at all levels. Towards defining the roles and responsibilities, an MoU was signed on the margins of the meeting between Government of India and Government of Karnataka. The theme of the event is "Runway to a Billion Opportunities", in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for Atmanirbhar Bharat. In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the event itself will showcase India's resolve to be first amongst first. The indigenous technological and logistic prowess will be at the fore and the event will embolden our Aerospace and Defence industry, Start-ups, MSMEs to forge partnerships with Foreign OEMs who are also keen to attend.

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa and Chief Secretary P. Ravi Kumar, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Secretary of the Department of Defence Production Raj Kumar, AOC in C Southern Command Air Marshal RK Mathur, GoC in C Southern Command Lt Gen CP Mohanty and other senior officials.

Aero India-21 claims to abide by international norms for conduct of such events and incorporates additional precautions for social distancing, crowd control wherein the total exhibition area count has been reduced to 15000 PAX and Air Display Visual Area to 3000 PAX, safe social behaviour such as compulsory wearing of facemask, non-contact interactions etc, brochures and literature would be predominantly in digital format, contactless experience for registration and booth visits, negative RT-PCR test 72 hours prior February 3, entry screening, and restricting entry of people with symptoms to ensure safety for all attendees.

Singh also launched the Aero India-21 mobile app on Friday which will be the handy interactive interface for all issues related to the event and promises to provide a hassle free entry to the venue. The app will be available on the Apple App Store/Google Play Store and is a holistic with features to support exhibitors, attendees, and the media – pre, during and post the event.

As the countdown for the mega aero show has begun, 576 exhibitors and 35+ foreign delegations have registered thus far with the event being a complete Sell out, reposing their faith in the Ministry of Defence to further their A&D Business interests. Aero India 2021 is symbolic of India's resolve to further its Business interests as also take global initiatives towards furthering peace and security in the region.

Singh complimented the host State's preparedness and efforts and expressed confidence for the conduct of a safe Aero India-21 during the prevailing pandemic situation. Rajnath also highlighted a giant step in self-reliance through the order of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to HAL valued at over Rs 48,000 crore which will prove a boon to Karnataka in general and Bengaluru in particular in terms of generation of more than 50,000 jobs with extensive participation of MSMEs and private sector.