Measures being taken for ensuring a pandemic free environment for Aero India-2021: Yediyurappa

Team Udayavani, Oct 8, 2020, 9:51 AM IST

Bengaluru: Organising Aero India-2021 amid COVID-19 would be a unique challenge and the Karnataka government has adopted various proactive measures for ensuring a pandemic free environment for the country’s premier air show, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Wednesday.

Participating in the Ambassadors Round Table, a virtual summit of foreign envoys in the backdrop of the Aero India- 2021, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he said, there has been a tremendous positive response with almost 90 per cent of the space being provisionally booked/blocked by the exhibitors.

The 13th edition of Aero India exhibition is scheduled from February 3 – 7 at Air Force Station in Yelahanka here. Yediyurappa said Karnataka has been the host for the last 12 editions of Aero India and it was a proud moment for it to be chosen again as the venue for the upcoming event.

It was indeed a unique challenge to the Karnataka government and the Ministry of Defence to host this event during the time when the entire world is reeling under the global pandemic, he said.

However, soon after the launch of the Aero India-2021 website for booking of spaces at the venue, there has been a tremendous positive response with almost 90 per cent of the space being provisionally booked or blocked, he was quoted as saying by the CMO in a release.

Yediyurappa said his government has adopted various proactive measures for containing the pandemic and was also taking steps to ensure “a pandemic free environment” for the Aero India-2021.

The standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being formulated in order to ensure the safety of international delegates, participating dignitaries and the general public with strict adherence to COVID-19 norms such as thermal screening, sanitisation and social distancing at all locations inside and outside the venue, he added.

The chief minister highlighted that Karnataka has a prominent place in the Aerospace and Defence map of the country catering to nearly 25 percent of India”s Aircraft and Spacecraft Industry.

The state also contributed nearly 65 per cent of the countrys Aerospace related exports, besides accounting for 67 per cent of the helicopter and aircraft manufacturing for defence services. Karnataka was also the first state in the country to formulate a dedicated Aerospace Policy he said, pointing out that strategic Defence major public sector units like HAL, BEML and BEL were situated here.

It also has the country’s first private Aerospace SEZ in Belagavi, a thousand acre Aerospace Park at Devanahalli, MRO at Kempegowda International Airport and and a Defence Production Cluster near HAL Helicopter unit in Tumakuru district, Yediyurappa said.

Multiple financial incentives have also been announced under the New Industrial Policy of Karnataka to create a favourable environment for the investors, he said, adding that the government is also providing a 1.5 million dollar subsidy to anchor industries and special incentives for MRO and Regional Civil Aviation facilities.