Bengaluru best city to host Aero India: Rajnath Singh

The state has also been given a set of directions and protocols to be followed as per the requirement of the Ministry of Defence and also the Covid-19 guidelines, he said. 
Bengaluru best city to host Aero India: Rajnath Singh

BENGALURU: With the countdown for Asia’s premier air show, Aero India 2021, beginning, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was in Bengaluru on Friday to review the preparations, expressed confidence that it will be a “grand and successful” event, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stating that Bengaluru is the best city in the country to host such an event, he said the order of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to Bengaluru-headquartered Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), valued at nearly Rs 46,000 crore, will be a boon to the state.

Singh, who reviewed the arrangements for the air show, said they discussed the progress made so far and the state government has been directed to make all preparations to ensure that the event is a grand success. The state has also been given a set of directions and protocols to be followed as per the requirement of the Ministry of Defence and also the Covid-19 guidelines, he said. 

LCA order to create 50K jobs

Durin g the meeting, he emphasised on the safe conduct of the event and making it inclusive for the world aerospace and defence industry. He said that the hybrid model of Aero India-21 should be a template for the world to emulate for conduct of business in the new normal till the concerns of the pandemic are addressed. He also noted that the attendees joining the event virtually can participate in seminars, interact with exhibitors and representatives, hold Business- to-Business (B2B) meetings, and could also view the product details and supporting videos.

The Defence Minister also highlighted the giant step in self-reliance through the order of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to HAL valued at nearly Rs 46,000 crore and said it will be 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 the private sector.

An MoU defining the roles and responsibilities was signed between the Government of India and the Government of Karnataka. The theme of the event is ‘Runway to a Billion Opportunities’. The minister also launched the Aero India-21 mobile app which will be an interface for all issues related to the event and promises to provide a hassle- free entry to the venue.

The meeting was attended by Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and others. After chairing the Apex Committee Meeting for Aero India- 2021 at Vidhana Soudha, the minister said, “Bengaluru is the only city that has hosted the maximum number of air shows in the country. Also, most of the industries related to aerospace are located in Bengaluru and Karnataka. This makes the city the most ideal place to hold the air show”. He ruled out reports of hosting the future editions of the air show in other cities.

576  exhibitors and more than 35  foreign delegations registered
15,000 people allowed at total exhibition area
3,000 allowed at Air Display Visual Area
Negative RT-PCR test report 72 hrs prior to February 3 must

E-tickets on website
The e-tickets for the air show are available on the website aeroindia.gov.in. Limited Business e-tickets on a firstcome- first-served basis are available. A half-day ticket is priced at `2,500 for Indian nationals and $75 for foreigners. Any business visitor leaving the premise beyond the pass validity will be fined Rs 5,000 and $150 in addition to the paid charges. The Air Display Visual Area (ADVA) e-tickets can be purchased for `500 and $20 for foreign nationals on per flying display basis.

Meat shops to be closed
To prevent bird hits during the event, the BBMP has ordered closure of all meat shops in a radius of 10 km from the Yelahanka Air Force Station, from Jan 17 to Feb 9. Eateries have been ordered to prepare only veg dishes.

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