Rajnath Singh referred to Aero India as a top international aviation trade event
The Indian aerospace and defence manufacturing sector is well prepared to take up future challenges and capitalise on emerging opportunities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday.

He made the comments while chairing the Ambassadors' Roundtable conference for the upcoming Aero India 2023 in New Delhi on Monday. Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Charge d'Affaires, and Defence Attachés from over 80 countries attended the outreach event.

Giving a broad overview of India’s growing defence industrial capabilities, he stated that efforts are being made towards enhancing manufacturing capabilities, particularly in the emerging areas of drones, cyber-tech, Artificial Intelligence, and radars.

He highlighted that India has domestically produced the Light Combat Aircraft and the manufacturing of Light Utility Helicopter has also commenced.

During the address, Defence Minister Singh welcomed guests from all over the globe to the largest and 14th Aero event in Asia, Aero India 2023.

The event with the theme 'The runway to a billion opportunities' will take place in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from February 13–17, 2023. The Air Force Station in Yelahanka will host the event over a total of 1.08 lakh square meters and have as its

Currently, 80 nations have confirmed their attendance, and there are over 645 exhibitors registered for the event.

Defence Minister Singh referred to Aero India as a top international aviation trade event that gives the Indian aerospace and aviation industries a chance to present their goods, technology, and solutions to national decision-makers.

The event will feature notable defence think tanks and defence-related entities from around the world and key entrepreneurs and investors in the defense and aerospace sectors. A large aerospace and defense trade fair, as well as aerial demonstrations by the Indian Air Force, will be also included throughout the five-day show.

According to Singh, Aero India will offer a special opportunity for the sharing of knowledge, concepts, and cutting-edge technological advancements in the aviation sector.

The Defence Minister recalled the success of Aero India 2021, stating that the previous edition saw unprecedented participation from over 600 exhibitors in person and another 108 online.

He continued by saying that 63 nations attended the event, and there were around 3,000 business-to-business interactions.

He also went into great detail on the outstanding performance of DefExpo 2022, which had an unprecedented turnout of over 1,340 exhibitors, companies, investors, start-ups, MSMEs, armed forces, and delegates from many nations.

Additionally, he expressed the expectation that there will be more exhibitors from friendly nations at Aero India 2023 and stated, "We remain committed in supporting the partnerships that have been forged thus far and forming new bonds for future growth."

Defence Minister Singh provided a general overview of India's expanding defence industrial capabilities and stated that a strong defence manufacturing ecosystem had been established, which had resulted in India's recent emergence as a major defence exporter.

"Our large population and abundant skilled work-force has led to the creation of a thriving innovation ecosystem, led by start-ups in high technology areas. These, in turn, are collaborating with the established R&D institutions and industries to develop and manufacture high-end defence platforms and systems at a comparability lower cost," he said.

Rajnath Singh emphasized that the government's initiatives to promote "Make in India" are neither isolationist nor limited to India.

He identified "partnership" and "joint efforts" as the two characteristics that set India's defence sector relationship with other countries apart. He reaffirmed India's opposition to a hierarchical view of the international order in which a select few nations are viewed as superior to others.

He continued by saying that India provides a partnership with a range of alternatives that take into account national interests and capabilities.

Rajnath Singh expressed his opinions on India's G20 presidency, saying that the upcoming summit will be held in the broader context of a serious geopolitical crisis, concerns about food and energy security, relatively slower progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, growing public debt loads, and urgent climate change-related issues.

He expressed India's efforts to influence the G20 and create an agenda for a more safe, more economic, sustainable, and just world.

Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said that India is quickly becoming a center for aerospace and defence industries, where the rest of the world looks for cutting-edge solutions.

He also said that Aero India 2023 will give exhibitors and attendees the chance to network and form partnerships in the aerospace and defense industries.

The delegates received a comprehensive presentation of Aero India 2023 during the ambassadors' meeting.