BENGALURU: Of the many stalls at Aero India 2023, the most sought after are the ones set up by the wives of India Air Force and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) personnel. From handmade candles, colourful bottles and spices to getting items from various small scale industries to support the ‘Make In India’ concept, they have spent the last few days at Aero India selling several products to support the forces.
Speaking to TNIE, Dr Deep Rekha, wife of a doctor at HAL as well as a volunteer for the HAL Family Welfare Association, said that the response has been overwhelming. “The response has been wonderful... Everyone is appreciating us. We are also surprised that many are unaware that HAL runs a family welfare association,” she added.
The scene is similar at the stall run by the Air Force Wives’ Welfare Association (AFWWA). “The ‘Sangini’ corner consists of several handmade items that are all made by us. We take the opportunity to put out stalls like these during Diwali, Air Force Day and other occasions to raise money. We also have a thrift shop within the campus as well,” said Alpana Srivastava, an AFWWA volunteer and wife of an Air Force Senior Medical Officer. The corner is dedicated entirely towards handmade products like decorative bottles, jewellery and handmade candles.
“We are promoting the ‘Make in India’ initiative... We have wooden toys from Channapatna. We are trying to promote smaller artisans to help encourage them. We also have small vendors from other states like West Bengal. Meanwhile, we also have our own masala items which are homemade and freshly ground,” Dr Deep told TNIE.