Biggest Aero India set to take off in Bengaluru with self-reliance pitch

PM Modi to inaugurate expo in Bengaluru today; 809 companies, including 699 Indian, among exhibitors

The day before the inauguration of the 14th Aero India 2023 — billed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as Asia’s largest aerospace and defence (A&D) exposition — Bengaluru is abuzz with activity.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to fly down from the national capital to India’s aerospace capital, Bengaluru, exhibitors are throwing in everything to make their displays just so. Defence executives in sharp suits are going over their sales pitches; aircraft technicians are tuning their flying machines to coax out a maximum performance, while fighter pilots pull off one last aerobatics rehearsal that makes daredevilry seem commonplace.