The emphasis on Atmanirbharta in the Indian Defence sector will be displayed throughout as the event showcases the country's progress in Defence Manufacturing
PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI INAUGURATED THE 14TH EDITION OF ASIA'S BIGGEST AERO SHOW - AERO INDIA 2023 AT AIR FORCE STATION, YELAHANKA IN BENGALURU
"When the country moves forward with
new thinking, new approach, then its
systems also start changing according to
the new thinking", said the Prime Minister
while inaugurating the 14th edition
of the biennial airshow, Aero India 2023. He highlighted
the event to be a reflection of the changing approach of
New India. He stated that Aero India is no longer 'just a
show' and a window to 'sell to India', rather today, Aero
India is India's strength that showcases the scope of the
defence industry and the self-confidence of India.
"The new India of the 21st century will neither miss
any opportunity nor will it lack any effort", the Prime Minister
said as he noted the revolution brought in various
sectors with the help of reforms.
Underlining the ambitions of India's self reliant
defence hub, he underlined that the nation which used
to be the largest defence exporter for decades has now
started exporting defence equipment to 75 countries in
the world.
Referring to the transformation of the defence sector
in the last 8-9 years, the Prime Minister said that
the aim is to take defence exports from 1.5 billion to
5 billion by 2024-25. "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", the Prime Minister said.
DEFENCE MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH SPEAKING AT THE INAUGURATION
Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh asserted that
India has become a promising manufacturing destination
due to its business-friendly environment and
cost-competitiveness. "India has become the fifth
largest economy in the world due to the vision and is
well on course to become the third largest economy
in the next 4-5 years. India's G-20 presidency this year
is also a reflection of India's growing stature on the
international platforms," he said.
The Defence Minister also shed light on the
growth story of the Indian defence sector, saying
that it has come a long way in the last few years and
is marching ahead on the path of empowering the
nation with full zeal and dedication. He termed Aero
India as one of the pillars which has strengthened the
defence sector and has given it a new identity.
"Aero India's deafening roar echoes India's message
of Reform, Perform and Transform", the Prime
Minister remarked. He mentioned that the entire
world is taking note of the reforms made for 'Ease of
Doing Business' in India and touched upon the various
steps taken to create an environment that favours
global investments as well as Indian innovation. He
also mentioned the reforms made in Foreign Direct
Investments in defence and other sectors and the
simplification of processes for issuing licenses to
industries while also increasing their validity. The
Prime Minister said that in this year's Budget, tax benefits
for manufacturing units have been enhanced.
"Where there is demand, expertise as well as
experience, industry growth is natural." He assured
the gathering that efforts to strengthen the sector will
keep going forward even stronger.
In line with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Make
in India, Make for the World', the Aero India is focusing
on displaying indigenous equipment/technologies
and forging partnerships with foreign companies. The
emphasis on Atmanirbharta in the Indian Defence
sector will be displayed throughout as the event will
showcase the country's progress in design leadership,
growth in UAVs Sector, Defence Space and futuristic
technologies. Further, the event will 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). The event will also help in integrating
domestic MSMEs and startups in the global
supply chain and attract foreign investments including
partnerships for co-development and co-production.
Referring to the Defence Minister's Conclave and
CEO Roundtable that is being organised along with the
show, Prime Minister Modi said that active participation
in the sector will enhance the potential of Aero India.
A COMMEMORATIVE STAMP WAS RELEASED BY THE PRIME MINISTER
The inaugural also included a fly past and a flying
display. From Sarang to Surya Kirans, LCH Prachand
to LUH, Sukhoi to Rafale and MiG-29, ALH Rudra to
LCA Tejas caught the attention and set the spirits high
through various maneuvers and formations including
the Tiranga formation by the Surya Kirans, Varuna,
Arjun, Netra, Trishul and Gurukul formations.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the India
Pavilion and went through the displays showcasing
India's indigenous defence prowess and interacted
with the CEOs present at the pavilion. The India
Pavilion has a new DefSpace section as well this year
that showcases how the space industry can align with
the defence industry in India and bring about a further
boost to India Inc.'s strengthening self-reliance
defence capabilities.
The 'India Pavilion', based on the 'Fixed Wing
Platform' theme, is showcasing. India's growth in the
area, including the future prospects. There will be a
total of 115 companies, displaying 227 products. It
will further showcase the growth of India in developing
an ecosystem for Fixed Wing platform which
includes the demonstration of various structural
modules, simulators, systems (LRUs) etc of LCA-Tejas
aircraft being produced by Private Partners. There
will also be a section for Defence space, New Technologies
and a UAV section which will give an insight
about the growth of India in each sector.
He called upon the private sector to invest in the
defence sector which will create new opportunities
for them in India and in many other countries.
"The India of today thinks fast, thinks far and
takes quick decisions", Prime Minister Modi said as
he drew the analogy of India in Amrit Kaal to a fighter
jet pilot. The Prime Minister said that India is a nation
which is not afraid but excited to soar to new heights.
India is always rooted however high it flies howsoever
is its speed, the Prime Minister stressed.