Eyeing India’s over $30 billion defence market, 592 global and Indian defence companies will showcase their aircraft and weapon systems at the seventh edition of Aero India starting in Bangalore from Wednesday.
Of these exhibitors from 25 countries, 303 are from overseas and 289 from home. The major participant countries include the US, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Russia and Israel. This is the largest foreign and Indian participation at the show.
At the moment, India’s long defence shopping list includes big ticket items such as the 126 multirole combat aircraft, 197 light utility helicopters, various reconnaissance aircraft and choppers and types of artillery systems, radars and sensors for its three services.
Additions to the existing list were made after the 26/11 terror strikes with armed forces going in for fast-track acquisition for their urgent needs.
To witness the mega event, defence ministers from eight countries including France, Peru, Bolivia, Surinam, Mongolia, Oman and Maldives will be at the show, besides high level delegations from 40 countries.
Germany and France with 31 companies, 26 from Britain, Russia with 24, Italy with 20 and Israel with 11 companies would be the major participants at the seventh edition of the show.
China would participate in the show for the first time with a 10-member delegation led its Deputy Air Chief.