With an eye on the 2019 lok Sabha election, the National Democratic Alliance government is advancing its mega Aero India show by a year and will be shifting it to lucknow.
The move is an attempt to showcase Uttar Pradesh as a manufacturing destination for global aviation companies.
“The Union Civil Aviation Ministry had selected nine airports in Uttar Pradesh out of a total of 25 across the country under Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS). There are several airports like lucknow, Rai Bareli and Amethi in UP where Aero India can be successfully organised,” said UP Civil Aviation Minister Nand Gopal Gupta ‘Nandi’ here on Monday.
The minister added, “In February, the UP government organised a hugely successful Investors’ Summit followed by the groundbreaking ceremony for launch of projects worth Rs 81,000 crore. All these have sent a strong message across the country that UP is fast emerging not only as most favoured destination for investors but also as a manufacturing hub. The state has a strong case for Aero India show to be organised here.”
Sources said that Aero India, which was scheduled to be held in Bengaluru in February 2019, was being shifted to Bakshi Ka Talab air station in lucknow and was likely to be held between October 27 and November 4 this year.
The change of time and venue has raised an alarm among both Indian and global defence companies that usually participate at such international shows. Most of these shows are planned a year in advance, giving companies adequate time to bring in their platforms, personnel and equipment for display.
Moreover, there is concern that participating in the defence show in less than six months will have a financial implication, given the high cost of display space as well as cost in bringing equipment to the venue
This is the first time since its inception in 1996 that Aero India will shift out of its home venue at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru and will be held in a non-scheduled year.
The last edition was held in February, 2017.
Shifting the show to lucknow is part of a series of moves to promote UP as a defence manufacturing destination. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was in Aligarh on Saturday for an interactive session with defence manufacturers. The session, to promote Aligarh as a node of the defence industrial corridor planned in the state, was also attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and top Defence Ministry officials.
Yogi Adityanath had made a strong pitch for Aero India in UP before the Defence Minister, who chose to keep quiet.
In the annual budget this year, the government had announced to set up two defence industrial corridors, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in UP.
Stakeholders’ interactions have been held in lucknow, Kanpur, Agra and Jhansi in the last few months.