The 14th edition of Aero India 2023 was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 13 February 2023 at the Air Force Station in Yelahanka, Bengaluru. With the theme “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities”, the five-day event will feature the participation of over 80 countries and 800 defence companies, including 100 foreign and 700 Indian firms.
The Prime Minister, in his address to the gathering, emphasized the capabilities of New India and expressed his vision of “Make in India, Make for the World”. The event will showcase the country’s advancements in design leadership, growth in the unmanned aerial vehicles sector, defence space, and futuristic technologies. Additionally, it will promote the export of indigenous air platforms and integrate domestic MSMEs and start-ups into the global supply chain, attracting foreign investment and partnerships for co-development and co-production.
Ministers from around 30 countries and 65 CEOs of global and Indian OEMs are expected to attend Aero India 2023. Major exhibitors at the event 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.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by important dignitaries such as the Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Basvaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Minister of State for Defence, Shri Ajay Bhatt, among others.
