Rajnath Singh to host Defence Ministers’ conclave at Aero India

PTI, Feb 7, 2023, 2:14 PM IST

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will host the ‘Defence Ministers’ Conclave’ on February 14, on the sidelines of 14th edition of Aero India in Bengaluru.

The biennial airshow would be held at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka here from February 13-17.

The conclave will see participation of Defence Ministers of foreign friendly countries, who would also be attending the Aero India, an official release said. The conclave would address aspects related to deepening cooperation for capacity building (through investments, R&D, joint venture, co-development, co-production and provisioning of defence equipment), training, space, AI and maritime security to grow together with the broad theme ‘Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence’ (SPEED), it said.

The conclave is an opportunity for Defence Ministers of all foreign friendly countries and India to engage with each other to carry forward the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ for a secure and prosperous future for generations to come, it added.

According to officials, Aero India has carved a niche for itself globally as one of the premier aerospace exhibitions with 13 successful editions organised in Bengaluru since 1996.

A total 731 exhibitors have registered — 633 Indian and 98 foreign for Aero India this time.

Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a campaign for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India), in Defence sector, the release said it aims to increasing indigenous defence manufacturing and production capability to develop a self-sufficient defence ecosystem; involving likeminded nations in developing a reliable supply chain free of exploitation and disruptions by certain players.

It said, while the domestic requirements are large enough to sustain the indigenous industry, India would like to partner with friendly countries to take the Defence production to next level and share the benefits to ensure shared prosperity. The aerospace industry is also gearing up majorly to cater to the demand of aircraft (fixed and rotary wings), UAVs and communication systems, according to officials, the opportunities in the aerospace for the Indian industries will enhance with favorable defence policies with the other countries by creating an ecosystem in India. Satellite enabled technologies such as information technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), chip manufacturing and communication technology are areas where massive scope for jointness exists, they said.