BENGALURU: Asia's biggest aerospace exhibition, Aero India-2025, started at Air Force station Yelahanka in Bengaluru on Monday. The show features a spectacular display of cutting-edge defence and aerospace technologies, aerobatic performance by fighter jets and helicopters, and a call by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for greater collaboration among friendly nations to ensure peace and stability as well as a better world order.
The Defence Minister described the 15th edition of Aero India — the biggest aerospace exhibition so far — as the "’Maha Kumbh’ of collaboration” and display of India's strength in defence and aerospace, while drawing a parallel with the ongoing Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.
"An important objective of Aero India is to showcase our industrial capability and also our technological advancements to the entire world. It shows the commitment towards the security of our nation," he said.
Its objective is also to further strengthen symbiotic relations with friendly nations, he said.
Calling for greater cooperation and collaboration among friendly countries, Singh said, "Often we interact as buyers and sellers wherein our relations are at a transactional level. However, at another level, we forge our relationships beyond buyer-and-seller relationships to a level of industrial collaboration. We may have research and development, or production collaboration."
Defence Ministers and senior ranking defence officials from a number of friendly countries are taking part in the show.
Singh said as they enhance the depth of their relations, their success will soar to greater heights.
"For us, there is no Indian security or peace in isolation. Security, stability and peace are shared constructs that transcend national borders. Presence of our friends from foreign countries is a testimony to the fact that our partners share our vision of one earth, one family and one future," he said, adding that they need to work together to face current uncertainties and overcome new challenges.
Driving home the need for a greater collaboration, the minister said, "peace cannot be achieved in a weak state of security. The banyan tree of peace can only stand on the roots of strength. We need to work together to be strong and to ensure a better world order."
The minister said India has never attacked any country or a part of any power rivalry, and as a big country it has always been an advocate of peace and stability.
"Your collaboration with India is in mutual interest and it is also equally necessary for global peace, prosperity and stability," he said.
As many as 452 Indian exhibitors and 57 foreign exhibitors are participating in the show.
The Defence Minister said domestic defence manufacturing and defence exports had crossed records of Rs 1.25 lakh crore and Rs 21,000 crore, respectively, and they are fully committed to see a significant increase in those numbers. He called on the private defence and aerospace firms to play a greater role.
5th Gen Fighters/Defence Ministers’ Conclave
For the first time, Aero India 2025 is witnessing the participation of two of the world's most advanced fifth-generation fighter aircraft — the Russian Su-57 and the American F-35 Lightning II. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also hosting the Defence Ministers' Conclave on Tuesday in a hybrid mode. The theme of the conclave is ‘Building Resilience through International Defence and Global Engagement (BRIDGE)’.