Confident that 13th edition of Aero India will be grand success: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh onFriday expressed confidence that the 13th edition of AeroIndia -- considered Asia's largest aerospace exhibition -- tobe held here from February 3-5 will be a ''grand success'', withall the necessary COVID precautions in place.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa,who attended theApex Committee meeting for Aero India 21, chaired by Singh,said the government was spending Rs 30 crore in developingroad infrastructure for the show this year in addition tomeeting other direct and indirect expenses.

''There was a meeting here between the Karnataka governmentand the Defence Ministry, during which it was decided to makeAero India a grand success ,'' Singh said.

Speaking to reporters after attending the Apex Committeemeeting , the defence minister said he has concluded after areview that all the preparations needed to make the air showsuccessful are being done by the Karnataka government, DefenceMinistry, especially the Air Force.

Bengaluru has hosted several editions of air shows in thepast, Singh said, adding that no other city in the country hasthe experience of organising the air show that this city has.

Also the maximum number of aerospace industries in thecountry are in Bengaluru.

An official release, quoting the Minister at the meeting,said the order of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) to HAL,valuedat over Rs 48000 crore, would prove a boon to Karnataka ingeneral and Bengaluru in particular in terms of generation ofmore than 50,000 jobs with extensive participation of MSMEsand private sector.

Since its inception in 1996, Bengaluru has been hostingthe event This three day event is being dubbed as the ''worldsfirst hybrid exhibition'', wherein the Business element of theevent will be both physical as well as virtual.

Aero India-21 is now being held simultaneously as aphysical and virtual exhibition with stalls being provided inboth the physical and virtual realms will result in greaterengagement, the release said.

The exhibitors, the release said, would experience agreater outreach, catering to those who could not join theevent physically.

At the meeting, an MoU was signed between the centre andKarnataka government towards defining the roles andresponsibilities Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Secretary ofthe Department of Defence Production, Raj Kumar, KarnatakaChief Secretary P Ravi Kumar and a host of Defence Ministryand state government officials attended the meeting.

Thanking the union government for giving the state theopportunity to conduct the air show since its inception,Yediyurappa assured the best support from his government forthis ''mega event'' even at the time of pandemic.

''Karnataka has been a pioneer in the aerospace sector andthe state has a strong ecosystem in aerospace and defenceindustry.

A quarter of India's aircraft and spacecraft industry isbased in Karnataka, and the state government has supported thedevelopment of industry at critical times,'' he said.

Stating that Karnataka was geared up with all precautionsand preparedness to conduct Aero India in Bengaluru amid thepresent global challenge of COVID-19,the CM said compliance ofnecessary protocols would be ensured at locations whereinternational delegates and participants will be accommodated.

The city's Kempegowda International Airport willfacilitate international delegates and VVIP dignitariesarriving at the airport to confirm with the guidelines issuedby the Ministry of Civil Aviation on COVID-19 protocols forinternational passengers, he said, as he asked the organisersto ensure compliance of SOPs.

Yediyurappa also said that the Karnataka government isspending Rs 30 crore in developing road infrastructure forAero India this year, in addition to meeting with other directand indirect expenses in the form of state support forsecurity, fire service, health services and manpower.

According to a release, the Defence Minister alsolaunched the Aero India-21 mobile app, which will be the handyinteractive interface for all issues related to the event andpromises to provide hassle free entry to the venue.

As the countdown for the mega Aero show has begun, 576exhibitors and 35+ Foreign delegations have so far registeredwith the event being a complete Sell out, reposing their faithin the Ministry of Defence to further their A&D Businessinterests, it said.

Meanwhile, city civic body Bruhat Bengaluru MahanagaraPalike has issued a notice, informing the general public andproprietors of meat stalls, non-vegetarian hotels/restaurantsto close all outlets and prohibited serving or sale of NVdishes within a 10 km radius of Air force station, Yelahanka,the venue of the air show, from January 17 to February 9.

Any violation of this would attract punishment underrelevant sections of KMC Act, 1976 and Indian Aircraft rules1937, rule 91, it said.