Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said Aero India 2023 is a shining example of the country’s growing capabilities and that the presence of ‘more than 100 nations’ at the event reflects the trust bestowed by the world on India.
Aero India is a wonderful platform to showcase the unlimited potential our country has in defence and aerospace sectors. https://t.co/ABqdK29rek
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2023
PM Modi was inaugurating the 14th edition of Aero India at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, near Bengaluru. The theme of the biennial aerospace exhibition is ‘The Runway to a Billion Opportunities’. More than 80 countries and 800 defence companies, including 100 foreign and 700 Indian companies, are participating in the event.
In line with PM Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, the event will focus on displaying indigenous equipment/technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies.
PM Modi said the Bengaluru sky was bearing testimony to the capabilities of “New India”. “This new height is the reality of New India; today, India is touching new heights and transcending them, too,” he said.
Stating that Aero India used to be “just a show”’ once and a window to “sell to India”, the event today is “India’s strength and not just a show”, and it not only showcases the scope of the defence industry but also the self-confidence of India.
Speaking about the defence minister’s conclave and the CEO roundtable, two of the major events at the expo, PM Modi said active participation in the sector would enhance the potential of Aero India.
Speaking about the importance of Aero India taking place in Karnataka, he said it would open new avenues for the youth of Karnataka in the aviation sector.
जब कोई देश, नई सोच, नई अप्रोच के साथ आगे बढ़ता है, तो उसकी व्यवस्थाएं भी नई सोच के हिसाब से ढलने लगती हैं। pic.twitter.com/4CIAgyCjKQ
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 13, 2023
He said that India’s successes bore witness to its capabilities and took examples of LCA Tejas, INS Vikrant, and advanced manufacturing facilities in Surat and Tumakuru to highlight the potential of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ with which the “world’s new alternatives and opportunities are linked”.
“The new India of the 21st century will neither miss any opportunity nor will it lack any effort,” he said, adding that the nation, which used to be a large defence importer for decades, has now started exporting defence equipment to 75 countries in the world. He said India aims to take defence exports from $1.5 billion to $5 billion by 2024-25.
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“From here, India will take rapid strides to be included among the largest defence manufacturing countries, and our private sector and investors will play a big role in that,” he said, asking the private sector to invest in the defence sector, which will create new opportunities for them in India and many other countries.
He said the entire world was taking note of the reforms made for ease of doing business in India and touched upon the various steps taken to create an environment favouring global investments and Indian innovation.
He said reforms in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in defence and other sectors and the simplification of processes for issuing licenses to industries increased their validity. The prime minister said in this year’s budget, tax benefits for manufacturing units had been enhanced.
The Indian Air Force carried out an air show at the inaugural ceremony of the event, a key highlight of which was Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari flying the LCA Tejas in a Garud formation.
The event will showcase the country’s progress in design leadership, growth in UAVs Sector, Defence Space and futuristic technologies and 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).
