See you at
2013
Hall B, Booth 4.18
SP’s
Day-2
Thursday, February 7, 2013
AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION
shownews KEY OFFICIAL MEDIA PAR TNER AERO INDIA '13 PUBLIS HERS OF SP’s Military Yearbook, SP’s Aviation, S P’s AIRBUz, S P’s Land Forces, S P’s Naval Forces & S P's MAI
[ inside ]
Rafale: Going Strong
HAL’s Light combat helicopter
ndia: 04 IRotorcraft Central
nterview: 08 IPranav Nagpal, OIS-AT
Flying High: Rafale nearing finalisation of the contract
O
By R. Chandrakanth
nterview: Air Mshl (Retd) 12 IArvind Walia, Sikorsky
nterview: 22 IJohn Gay, Rolls-Royce
n a warm sunny morning, the ninth edition of Aero India 2013 kick-started with a promise of enormous potential in the fast growing aerospace and defence sector. Both the Defence Minister A.K. Antony and the Civil Aviation Minister, Ajit Singh set the tone for accelerated growth of the two sectors. Inaugurating Aero India 2013, Antony said the event had reached its outreach in terms of participation and infrastructure and participation by domestic companies had increased exponentially. As the fastest growing aerospace and defence market, India had the potential to meet national requirements both with regard to military and civil. The roadmap for creating an aerospace and defence industrial base was evolving and the government was keen on the private sector becoming active partners. As India was emerging as an attractive market and key outsourcing hub, the need to strike new alliances both within and outside the country was urgent. Talking about enhanced participation by Indian establishments, Antony urged Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to remain committed to the country’s urgent requirements and said it should look at such developments with or without international partners. Sky is home The Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh seized the oppor-
1
February 7, 2013
defence Minister inaugurating aero india 2013
tunity to explain the humongous potential that the civil aviation sector was opening up in India. The sector was the fastest growing market having a passenger growth of 15 per cent compounded annual growth rate. The domestic air traffic was at 180 million passengers per annum and 80 million international passengers per annum. By 2020, India will be among the top three aviation markets and as per the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India will be among the top five by 2016, registering the second highest growth rate. With introduction of foreign direct investment (FDI)
SP’S SHOWNEwS