PM Modi to inaugurate 14th edition of Aero India on Monday
Bengaluru, Feb 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate on Monday India's biennial aerospace exhibition - 'Aero India' - that will showcase the country as an emerging hub for manufacturing of military aircraft, helicopters, equipment and new-age avionics.
The five-day exhibition at the Yalahanka Air Force station complex on the outskirts of Bengaluru will see the participation of 809 defence companies and delegates from 98 countries, officials said.
They said around 250 business-to-business agreements are expected to be firmed up at the Aero India which is estimated to unlock investment to the tune of around Rs 75,000 crore.
The 14th edition of Aero India, with the theme 'The runway to a billion opportunities', will radiate the rise of a strong and self-reliant 'New India' by displaying the country's growth in aerospace and defence capabilities, they said.
The focus will be on displaying indigenous equipment and technologies and forging partnerships with foreign companies, in line with the 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision of the government.
Addressing a press conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Aero India 2023 will highlight the country's manufacturing prowess and the progress achieved towards realising 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) as envisioned by Prime Minister Modi.
The event will significantly contribute to the development of the aerospace and aviation sector, he said.
Singh said Aero India will act as a catalyst in further growth of the aerospace sector in India and will help in realising the country's aim of becoming self-reliant in defence manufacturing.
"I am confident that Bengaluru will emerge as a global hub for the aerospace sector. Our aim is to create a vibrant defence manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
The officials said defence ministers of 32 countries, Air Chiefs of 29 nations and 73 CEOs of global and Indian defence companies are expected to attend Aero India.
The defence minister termed the increasing international participation a reflection of not just India's buyer-seller ties with different countries but also their shared vision of global prosperity.
To a question, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said the government is fully supporting the projects relating to Tejas Mark II and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
"Tejas Mark II and AMCA will happen," he said.
Singh will host a Defence Ministers' conclave on Tuesday on the theme 'Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence (SPEED).
A 'CEOs Round Table', under the chairmanship of the defence minister, will be held on Monday on the theme 'Sky is not the limit: opportunities beyond boundaries'.
The major exhibitors at the Aero India will include Airbus, Boeing, Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Israel Aerospace Industry, BrahMos Aerospace, Army Aviation, HC Robotics, SAAB, Safran, Rolls Royce, Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) and BEML Limited.
About five lakh visitors are expected to attend the event physically, the defence ministry said.
Aero India 2023 will cover design leadership, growth in the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector, defence space and futuristic technologies.
The event aims to 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).
It will integrate domestic MSMEs and start-ups in the global supply chain and attract foreign investments including partnerships for co-development and co-production, the officials said.
In his remarks, Singh emphasised that Aero India 2023 will provide a renewed thrust to the government's efforts to create a vibrant and world-class domestic defence industry.
"A strong and self-reliant defence sector will play a pivotal role in helping India emerge as one of the top three world economies," he said.
"Achievements in the defence sector provide wide spin-off benefits to the Indian economy. The technologies developed in the field are equally useful for civilian purposes," he said.
The 'India Pavilion', based on 'Fixed Wing Platform' theme, will emphasise India's growth in the area, including the future prospects.
There will be a total of 115 companies displaying 227 products at the pavilion.
"It will further showcase the growth of India in developing an ecosystem for Fixed Wing platform which includes the demonstrating of various structural modules, simulators, systems (LRUs), etc. of LCA-Tejas aircraft," the defence ministry said.
There will also be a section for Defence space, new technologies and a UAV section which will give an insight into the growth of India in each sector.
A full-scale LCA-Tejas aircraft in Full Operational Capability (FOC) configuration will be at the centre stage of the India Pavilion.
LCA Tejas is a single-engine, lightweight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. It is designed for 'air combat' and 'offensive air support' with 'reconnaissance' and 'anti-ship' as its secondary roles.
Defence Minister Singh stated that the pavilion will introduce the world to the potential, opportunities and possibilities of 'New India'.
There will be an exhibition of indigenous defence products where established business organisations and start-ups will be able to demonstrate their products.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
At least 19 killed as methane leak causes explosion at eastern Iran coal mine, state TV reports
Tehran (AP/PTI): A methane leak sparked an explosion at a coal mine in eastern Iran, killing at least 19 people and injuring another 17, Iranian state television reported Sunday.
The report said the deaths happened at a coal mine in Tabas, some 540 kilometers (335 miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran.
Authorities were sending emergency personnel to the area after the blast late Saturday, it said. Around 70 people had been working there at the time of the blast.
Oil-producing Iran is also rich in a variety of minerals. Iran annually consumes some 3.5 million tons of coal but only extracts about 1.8 million tons from its mines per year. The rest is imported, often consumed in the country's steel mills.
This is not the first disaster to strike Iran's mining industry. In 2013, 11 workers were killed in two separate mining incidents. In 2009, 20 workers were killed in several incidents. In 2017, a coal mine explosion killed at least 42 people.
Lax safety standards and inadequate emergency services in mining areas are often blamed for the fatalities.
