To become the show of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, Aero India needs to move out of the air force station
Ghazala Wahab
Yelahanka: Aero India 2025 is the biggest edition of the show until now. It is evident in the number of exhibition halls, Indian exhibitors, visitors and the overall mismanagement. Defence minister Rajnath Singh likened the show to the Mahakumbh currently ongoing in Prayagraj. He was right. In terms of chaos–induced mostly to accommodate the VIP visitors–, and breakdown of facilities, it is quite similar.
But perhaps, here the problem is more fundamental—the location. Air Force Station Yelahanka is simply not big or equipped enough to hold the show of the size of Aero India. If Aero India has to be not only the biggest, but among the better shows in Asia, then it needs a professional venue. Here are four reasons why Aero India needs to exit Air Force Station Yelahanka.
Nature of the Show: Aero India is a commercial exhibition in which aerospace industry from around the world comes to engage with the Indian industry. No doubt, until now this engagement was meant to serve the Indian armed forces alone, hence they were among the larger stakeholders of Aero India. However, now as India aspires to become an arms seller instead of being a mere buyer, it needs to reorient the show in the manner that attracts potential global customers. The old attitude that we have the biggest market so the world would come to us no matter what needs to change.
Security: With the airshow venue being a defence establishment, the Indian Air Force (IAF) doubles down on its security during Aero India because it brings foreigners inside the station. The security drill starts right from the perimeter gates. And because this is India, where rules are meant to be adjusted according to the requirements of the powerful, the security drills also become shapeshifting creatures.
For instance, on February 10, when the defence minister, deputy chief minister of Karnataka and the entire ministry of defence had converged at Aero India, the vehicles were allowed inside the peripheral gates without any checking, but were held up before the internal gates leading to the fairgrounds, causing a cascading hold-up for nearly half a kilometre forcing people to exit their cars and walk. The hold up was so bad that people were still trying to reach the inauguration venue well after the defence minister’s speech. Worse, the handheld scanners were not available at all access gates. So, while some frisked the visitors, others did not.
On February 11, the situation changed. Vehicles were being stopped at the perimeter gate itself. Some were not allowed to enter despite the access sticker on the vehicle because the duty policeman only knew how to wave the car forward and not read the sticker. Once again there was a holdup at the gate with arguing drivers and screaming policemen turning the station periphery into a battleground.
Space: This also goes back to the venue. Since the IAF can spare only this much area for the airshow, to accommodate nearly 900 exhibitors, 80 per cent of them Indian, new halls were created in the existing space making the layout extremely cramped. Also, this did not leave any space for building conference halls and briefing rooms. As a result, concurrent events, for instance, CEOs’ round table, were held in city hotels. This meant that the big bosses had to first struggle to get inside the show to mark their presence at the inauguration and thereafter struggle to reach Bengaluru to attend the conferences in the early afternoon, curtailing their first day at the show. Given that most CEOs attend the show only on the first or the first two days, this ate into their time at the show. The space crunch also meant that most eating places, the VIP lounges and the food courts, were pitched well away from the main venue, forcing people to walk unnecessary distances in the heat. It’s not just an inconvenience, but a waste of time.
Facilities: Toilets, toilets, toilets. And back to the venue. Unlike convention centres, say like Bharat Mandapam in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, air force station has no in-built facilities. And despite the present edition being the 15th air show (30 years, since it’s a biennial event), the air force station has not bothered to build any permanent facilities, because, well it is not an exhibition centre. So, everything is temporary and portable. Fair enough.
But the biggest mystery of Aero India is that it has two halls dedicated entirely to made in India high technology, such as unmanned systems, yet it has been unable to figure out how to build portable toilets in which water runs in the taps and not form puddles on the floor. By noon of the first day of the show, most toilets collapsed in the collective heap of incompetence. The remaining few had long queues outside. One lady exhibitor, while offering me a glass of water declined one proffered to her by the server. “No, no water for me. Otherwise, I will have to go hunting for a clean toilet.” Seriously, finding clean toilets at an international show should be the least of the worries of the exhibitors.
The Last Word
Finally, a word about mismanagement. Despite 30 years of organising defence exhibitions, the ministry of defence has still not got the hang of it. For example, treating all small exhibitors equally may be a fair practice, but it is not a reasonable approach. The media which pays to participate in the show and brings out daily specials needs to be distinguished from other exhibitors, because in a way, they are also service providers. They add to the experience of the show for the exhibitors. Hence, one, they should be allotted stands (for which they pay in any case) in a centralised area which makes it convenient for them to access the whole exhibition; and two, they should be facilitated in bringing in their show dailies every morning, instead of being thwarted, as is happening this time.
Moreover, paying media should be distinguished from those who do not pay. Publications who bypass both rules and dignity need to be called out and penalised. At Aero India 2025, as in the previous editions, a magazine called Chanakya Aerospace and Defence is bringing out show dailies without paying to become a media partner. This is not only unfair towards the paying media partners but also raises questions about MoD’s ability to enforce its rules.
Aero India, after all, is not just a meeting place for buyers and sellers. It is an experience for everyone who comes here. About time MoD understands that it’s the experience which creates a reputation. So, invest in Aero City, and shift the show there. The airstrip should not be a problem, because as the deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar said on February 10, in Bengaluru both the IAF and the civilian population share it as a mark of civil-military fusion.