On the sidelines of Aero India 2023, a series of bilateral meets and brainstorming sessions

The Aero India 2023 has not only been an opportunity to showcase India's impressive growth and prowess in the sector, it has also been a chance for the country's top defence leadership to brainstorm with their counterparts from other countries on issues of mutual interest. Defence Minister Singh hosted the Defence Ministers' Conclave on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru on Tuesday. In his address, he emphasized the importance of increased collaboration in today's complex global security environment. Over 160 delegates from several countries, including Defence & Deputy Defence Ministers from 27 countries, 15 Defence and Service Chiefs and 12 Permanent Secretaries from 80 countries participated in the conclave. According to the Ministry of Defence, this attested to India’s tremendous growth and engagement in the defence and security sectors. Additionally, Singh had bilateral meetings with his counterparts from several countries. These included Algeria’s Secretary General of the Ministry of National Defence Mohammad Salah Benbicha, Italian Minister of State for Defence Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, and Zambia’s Defence Minister Ambrose Lufuma. Defence Minister Singh talked about these meetings in a series of tweets. "Had fruitful discussions with Zambia’s Defence Minister, Mr. Ambrose Lufuma on the sidelines of #AeroIndia2023 in Bengaluru," he tweeted on Tuesday. "Glad to interact with the Italian Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Matteo Perego Di Cremnago in Bengaluru," he said in another tweet. In another tweet, he added, "Happy to have met Algeria’s Secretary General of Ministry of National Defence, Mr. Mohammad Salah Benbicha on the sidelines of #AeroIndiaShow in Bengaluru". Meetings With Defence Delegations From Around the World Apart from Defence Minister Singh’s interactions, Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane held a series of important bilateral meetings with defence delegations from around the world. Among these meetings was a discussion with the UAE delegation led by Defence Secretary Matar Salem Ali Marran Aldhaheri, where both sides expressed their satisfaction with regular military engagements and discussed ongoing defense cooperation issues. Additionally, he held a meeting with the Myanmar's Chief of Defence Industries Lt Gen Kan Myint Than to discuss ongoing defence cooperation matters. Another bilateral meeting was held with the Head of the Secretariat for Defence Production of Brazil, Maj Brig Rui Chagas Mesquita, where they explored possibilities for further defense industrial cooperation. Defence Secretary Aramane also met with Gen Yun Min, Secretary of State for the Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia, to review current cooperation between the two countries and find ways to enhance their defense partnership Additionally, a discussion was held with Katerina Gramatikova, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria, on issues related to defense industrial cooperation. A delegation from Mauritius, led by Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office Kechan Balgobin, met with the Indian Defence Secretary to discuss ongoing and future defence cooperation matters and exchange views on important issues. These meetings reflect the government's ongoing efforts to strengthen defense ties with key global partners. Apart from these meetings, the Indian Defence Secretary also had a productive bilateral meeting with the UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement Alex Chalk, on the sidelines of the Aero India 2023 event. The meeting was conducted on Monday, the day after the event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting was aimed at discussing several important ongoing and future defense cooperation issues between the two countries, including areas that could potentially benefit from defense-industrial cooperation. Chalk was accompanied by British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis. These meetings reflected the government's continued commitment to strengthening defence ties with key global partners, and to exploring new opportunities for cooperation in the field of defense procurement.