NEW DELHI: India is set to organise the 15th edition of its biggest Air Show in Bangalore with the dates getting confirmed on Thursday.
The Ministry of Defence announced that the biennial Aero India show will be held at the Yelahanka Air Force station in Bengaluru from February 10 to February 14 in 2025.
The five-day event will witness the participation of leading Indian and foreign manufacturers, besides several delegations of friendly foreign countries.
Many fighter aircrafts and helicopters performed on air and a defence exhibition was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi. IAF's Tejas aircraft which is a lightweight, highly agile and multi-role supersonic fighter was a major highlight in the aero India show in 2023.
Aero India is organised by the Ministry of Defence which involves multiple agencies, including the Department of Defence Production, IAF, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Department of Space, and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry.
The show features not only thrilling performances by IAF's Sukhoi fighters, the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team, and the Sarang Helicopter Display Team. Also, the products of the foreign and domestic manufacturers including the aircraft and associated equipment are displayed during the show which is expected to fulfill the requirement of the forces. The show is also seen as a platform to get potential business deals and joint ventures among the manufacturers. It also is significant keeping the Indian focus towards exhibiting its equipment to the potential buyers for exports.
As it is, multiple foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers like Boeing and Dassault Aviation are eying for multi-billion-dollar fighter jet deals with the Indian government, with Aero India providing them a key platform for negotiations.
Indian aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with its multi-role combat jet Tejas, is aiming to secure deals with developing nations from the Middle East, South America, and Southeast Asia. In 2023, HAL had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a UAE-based medical service provider to export its helicopter platforms for emergency services.
The previous, 14th edition, was held in 2023 and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The theme of Aero India 2023 was "The Runway to a Billion Opportunities'. It had seen a total of 809 exhibitors participate in the biennial show, which included 110 foreign exhibitors and 699 were Indian exhibitors.