Bengaluru: Bringing cheer to millions of aviation devotees, the dates of next edition of biennial 'Plane Carnival,' Aero India has been formally announced.
The 13th edition of Aero India will be held at Air Force Station (AFS) Yelahanka from February 3 to 7, 2021.
This one-line announcement was posted on the official website of Aero India being handled by the Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO), a wing of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
An official in the MoD told Onmanorama that owing to the Covid-19 situation prevailing across the world, the announcement must now been seen as a 'calendar exercise as part of the standard operating procedure.'
"It's too early to get into the details of the show now as all of us in the ministry (MoD) are focussing on Covid-19. The Aero India files have moved a while back and the show will be held in Bengaluru next February," the official said.
The MoD was at the receiving end last year after it was mulling over the idea of shifting Aero India from Bengaluru to Lucknow. This had resulted in utter confusion and the exhibitors were put to difficulties in planning travel and logistics arrangements.
Eventually, MoD had to retract its plans to shift the show out of AFS Yelahanka owing to several shortcomings in Lucknow. However, Lucknow was given the mandate to host DefeExpo in February this year and the city did put up a spirited show.
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, who was heading the Training Command during Aero India 2019 had played a critical role for the smooth conduct of the show, which saw a crash, the death of a pilot and a major fire at the car parking area.
Sources confirm that the Indian Air Force (IAF), which had to face some uncertainties ahead of Aero India 2019 owing to the delay in the announcement of date and venue, was keen this time that the road to the next edition should be smooth.
Yediyurappa's Efforts
During one of his interactions at DefExpo2020, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said that the mega shows should now move out of big cities to lesser known places to spread the aura of India's aerospace and defence.
Sensing trouble, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa met Rajnath Singh in March this year and sought his cooperation to hold Aero India2021 in Bengaluru itself.
In a letter handed over to him, Yediyurappa also sought for suitable dates to be announced for the show to be held in February 2021.
Yediyurappa had also in 2019 written to Rajnath Singh seeking his attention on the air show. He was then assured that the matter was under consideration by MoD.
"We had requested the CM to intervene because in 2019 the situation was worse. We had no clue where the show would be held in Bengaluru for major part of the year. Our representations then didn't get the right attention but we are happy that Mr Yediyurappa took special interest this time," says a retired Service official now working with a private defence firm in Belgaum.
Mixed Reaction
The news of Aero India 2021 dates and venue being announced by MoD received mixed reaction from aviation enthusiasts and professionals linked to aerospace and defence.
Roshan George, an entrepreneur and an expert in automobile tyres industry, felt that Covid-19 could change the script of the air show.
"It will be a different story for exhibitions across the world. Aero India attracts people from across the world and it will be difficult to say now how the scene will be in February next year. I am happy that this year the dates have been announced without any drama, but we will have to wait and see how things will evolve across the world, post coronavirus threat," says Roshan, with keen interest in military aviation.
Anshul Anand, a strategic affairs analyst felt that Aero India 2021 might be the true harbinger of good news for the indigenous defence industry.
"As defence budgets shrink in the face of a global slowdown, the new mantra for the armed forces shall be 'buy Indian.' The forces can look within the country, handhold our R&D and get what they want. Aero India 2021 will be one big step in that direction," says Anshul.
Wing Commander C D Upadhyay (Retd), former Chief Test Pilot (RW) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited felt that the announcement of dates in advance is good for planning the show.
"It's good and optimistic that the dates for Aero India 2021 are announced. But knowing the status in Europe and in the United States, it is very difficult to predict whether any aerospace company there would have been recovered by then," says Wg Cdr Upadhyay (Retd), one of the veteran helicopter pilots in India.
According to Aditi Patwardhan, an MBA 1st year student at MIT School of Management in Pune, Aero India is also a great opportunity for youngsters wanting to date with cutting-edge technology.
"It was an unforgettable experience for me in 2017 when I travelled from my hometown in Nagpur to Bengaluru for a day to witness the show. As an engineering student then the show had really caught my imagination and I could meet so many amazing people. I'm glad that the show stays in Bengaluru and I am hoping to make it next year," says Aditi, who is an active defence and aviation enthusiast on social media.
However, G Raj Narayan, Founder and Managing Director of Radel, a firm that has been supporting India's defence R&D efforts for several years now, feels that Aero India 2021 should be a virtual air show with all displays, seminars, B2B meetings being conducted online.
"This would make it more affordable and safe for MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), MoD as well as foreign companies," says Raj Narayan.
While MoD's announcement of air show dates amidst India's valiant battle to contain Covid-19, might have surprised some, it is left to be seen if they can pull off a show that can match the might of previous edition owing to the uncertainties all around.
In 2019, more than 600 Indian and 200 foreign firms were part of the show with 61 planes flying in for static and air display duties.
"The announcement of dates early is a reassurance to aviation enthusiasts that when and if the pandemic should move away, the skies of Bengaluru will be the stage for a myriad of mechanical birds displaying their plumes in full regale. Aero India has scripted many stories of sky parties. Let's hope that 2021 too will spring some surprises," says an IAF official.
(The writer is an independent aerospace and defence journalist, who blogs at Tarmak007 and tweets @writetake.)
