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GENEVA,13th February 2025: SITA has launched an innovative new global messaging solution which will help redefine the way ATC communications works. SITA ATC Connect allows the sharing of flight information with air navigation service providers (ANSPs) quickly and securely worldwide. It provides streamlined communications to simplify the exchange of data and ensure flight operations run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The new messaging platform offers a single, easy-to-use global solution for airlines, airports and ground handlers to exchange flight operational messages with ANSPs. This can include flight plans, NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) that alert pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect their flight, and other essential advisories. SITA ATC Connect is easily integrated, fully supporting the move from legacy Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Networks (AFTNs) to modern ATS (Air Traffic Services) Messaging Handling Systems (AMHS). With full inter-operability, it allows service providers to share large file messages and images with enhanced features for rich data exchange. Martin Smillie, Senior Vice President for SITA Communications and Data Exchange (CDE) said: “The mix of legacy and modern air traffic systems in different markets globally add unnecessary complexity and delays to air navigation. SITA ATC Connect automatically adapts to different air navigation communities worldwide with an innovative, single global communication connection that is both quick and secure. This is truly the future of ATC messaging, improving efficiency and allowing the industry to offer reliable and on-time operations.” Airlines, airports and ground handlers exchange many messages with air navigation service providers for day-to-day flight operations. Customers using SITA ATC Connect enjoy seamless communications throughout the flight operations process while the solution makes all necessary conversions between AFTN and AMHS systems, adapting automatically to the required ANSP environment. SITA ATC Connect provides airlines, airports and ANSP customers with an easy-to-use system that provides direct access to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) AMHS ATC for a single point of transmission for flight plans and meteorological data, avoiding intermediary points to quickly secure real-time acknowledgements and responses. The solution has a built-in back-up connection for uninterrupted service, with streamlined workflows for smoother daily operations that deliver time and resource savings through automation and simplified processes. It can also automatically reroute traffic to avoid operational disruptions or delays, while also covering both ICAO and IATA (International Air Transport Association) connectivity protocols and message formats for full compatibility and geographic coverage.

Bangalore, 12th Feb 2025: Indian Navy has championed the cause of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ wherein it has transformed from a Buyer’s Navy to a Builder’s Navy with over 60 warships being constructed in Indian Shipyards. Indian Naval Aviation which forms an integral part of the Navy, is also steadfast on this path. Towards charting a firm course in this direction, a vision document ‘Aatmanirbhar Indian Naval Aviation –Technological Roadmap 2047’ has been formulated and is planned for release during Aero India 2025. The Biennial event of Aero India 2025, being held at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru from 10-14 Feb 25 offers a distinctive platform to users, R&D establishments, academia, industry partners, MSMEs and startups to interact and collectively contribute towards the national vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047 through the aviation sector. The event offers a platform for the Naval Aviation to present it’s future requirements and for the industry to showcase what they have to offer with respect to the three S’s – Systems, Structures and Software essentially required in any Naval Aviation platform. The Indian Navy operates upon high seas and vast oceans away from the mainland. Consequently, there is not much visibility to Indian Navy’s aviation platforms. Aero India 2025 is being used as an opportunity to showcase and acquaint the general populace with various types of naval aircraft being presently operated by Indian Navy as part of the static display. This will include MiG 29K 4th generation carrier borne fighter aircraft, Kamov 31 Airborne Early Warning helicopter, Seaking 42B and MH 60 R Anti-Submarine and Anti-Ship helicopters. In addition, the Indian Navy will also display the Light Combat Aircraft (Navy) in the exhibition Area. The aircraft is designed by Aeronautical Design Agency (ADA) and manufactured by HAL. Successful landing of LCA (Navy) onboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant has propelled India into the league of a few nations with the capability of designing, developing, testing and manufacturing a deck borne fighter aircraft. Among the aircraft formations for the fly-past will be the all Navy VARUNA formation in a ‘V’ denoting ‘VICTORY’, with P8I in the lead flanked by MiG 29K and Hawk 132 aircraft. In pursuance to the nation’s goal of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, India Pavilion will feature indigenous projects developed/ being developed by the Indian Navy in partnership with industry and DRDO, such as state of the art missiles, air droppable Search And Rescue (SAR) Kit, Air Droppable Container (ADC) for logistic stores, carrier borne systems for MiG 29K and Advance Light weight torpedo (ALWT). Also on display in the India Pavilion would be a scaled model of Indian Navy’s future deck borne fighter – the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (4++ generation, designed by ADA) mounted on a ski jump. Naval aviation being technology intensive, the Indian Navy is also infusing startups to develop futuristic naval aviation platforms and systems. Some of these will be on display in the India Pavilion. To garner participation, create understanding and project future requirements of Indian naval aviation to industry, startups, DPSUs and academia, a seminar ‘Transition to Aatmanirbhar Indian Naval Aviation – 2047 and it’s Associated Ecosystem’ is being held on 12 Feb 25. The futuristic theme focuses on self-reliance by the year of centennial Independence Day. Close collaboration and partnership with academia, industry, DRDO, DPSUs and industry is the key to realisation of this vision. Having grown in scope, stature and magnitude over the years, Aero India 2025 would prove another stepping stone towards growth and empowerment of Naval Aviation and self-reliance of the Nation’s Defence Forces.

Bengaluru, 11th Feb 2025: Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of 15th Aero India in Bengaluru on February 10, 2025. In his meeting with Under Secretary of State for Defence, Italy Mr Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, both Ministers reviewed the various facets of bilateral defence cooperation including discussion about India’s growing capabilities in manufacturing equipment and development of indigenous systems. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the ties in all spheres. During the meeting with Minister for the House of Lords, UK Lord Vernon Coaker, both Ministers reviewed the bilateral defence cooperation and pledged to strengthen the relations. They also reiterated their commitment to work bilaterally and with other partners for peace, prosperity and rules-based world order, specifically in the Indo-Pacific & Indian Ocean Region wherein cooperation would ensure freedom of navigation and rule of law in the maritime & other domains. In his meeting with the Minister in Prime Minister’s Office (Defence and Security), Lesotho Mr Limpho Tau, both Ministers discussed the immense potential available in the field of defence exports and ways to expand the cooperation.

Bengaluru, 11th Feb 2025: Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has invited the global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to utilise the opportunities offered by the expanding Indian defence ecosystem and find targeted solutions & counter measures to the challenges emerging due to the volatile geopolitical landscape of today. He was addressing the CEOs Roundtable organised as part of Aero India 2025 in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 10, 2025. Raksha Mantri stated that amidst the fragile global security situation, where rules-based order is being challenged and technologies are creating new opportunities & vulnerabilities, there is a need to adopt & improve solutions constantly. “Today, the nature of communication and data sharing in military operations is getting much more complex. The reliance on space-based navigation systems, communication and surveillance implies that such assets would have to be integrated in our operational plans. The use of drones in recent conflicts indicate that the future would depend on the integrated efforts of manned, unmanned and autonomous warfare systems. Hence, our defence manufacturing has to focus on creating counter measures for these emerging challenges,” said Shri Rajnath Singh. Citing great Indian strategist Kautilya, Raksha Mantri said: “We have the moral responsibility to protect our people and territory in a hostile atmosphere. To achieve this, we are taking all necessary steps to equip our Armed Forces and making the country self-reliant in defence manufacturing through the establishment of a strong, efficient, resilient and future-ready defence industrial ecosystem,” he said. Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that the Government of India, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has put in place transparent & industry-friendly regulations, processes and policies. He emphasised that the opportunities provided by the Indian defence ecosystem are driven by the policies of self-reliance in defence production, facilitated by a conducive policy regime. Raksha Mantri enumerated the transformative steps taken by the Government to make the domestic defence industry an important component of the national economy in order to facilitate India’s transition from a developing to a developed country by 2047. “We have allowed FDI upto 75% through the Automatic Route for companies seeking new defence license, while upto 100% is also allowed under Government approval route. A total of 46 Joint Ventures and Companies have been given foreign investment approval in the defence sector till date,” he said. Shri Rajnath Singh added that more than 250 MoUs have, so far, been signed for the establishment of industrial units in the Defence Industrial Corridors set-up in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. He mentioned about the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme introduced to provide financial assistance to the Aerospace and Defence sector for setting up 6-8 greenfield Testing and Certification facilities. The Defence Exim Portal has made the export authorisation process seamless. “As a testimony to the emergence of India as a defence export nucleus, India has seen 31 times growth in the export of products in the last 10 years as compared to Financial Year 2013-14,” he said. Raksha Mantri described the issuance of Positive Indigenisation Lists as a clear indicator to the Government’s intent to support the industry in its self-reliance pursuit. He added that for innovation projects in the defence sector, over 500 start-ups & MSMEs are presently working under the aegis of Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). “Our overall ease of doing business environment has improved tremendously. This is showing great results as India has the 3rd largest start-up ecosystem in the world today; this is expected to witness Year on Year growth of 10-12%. We possess a young generation of highly-skilled workforce, which constantly updates itself in the face of the fast-changing ecosystem of the world. You must not miss the opportunity to leverage the advantages of this ecosystem,” he told the over 100 CEOs, both domestic and foreign, present on the occasion. Shri Rajnath Singh described the CEOs Roundtable as a platform where the idea of making India self-reliant in defence production would take root, germinate and blossom into full scale reality. It reflects the serious intent of the Government to team with the best organisations around the world in the spirit of cooperation. The essence of this conclave is to explore how to join hands to make India a leading defence manufacturer and service provider at the global scale, he said. The theme of the Roundtable was ‘Enabling Defence Cooperation through Global Engagement (EDGE)’. OEMs from 19 countries (USA, France, Russia, South Korea, UK, Japan, Israel & Brazil etc), 35 Indian (Larsen & Toubro, Bharat Forge Ltd, Adani Defence & Aerospace, Mahindra Defence Systems Ltd, BrahMos Aerospace & Ashok Leyland Defence) and 16 Defence DPSUs attended the event. Major foreign OEMs including Airbus (France), Ultra Maritime (USA), GNT (South Korea), John Cockerill Defence (UK), Mitsubishi (Japan), Rafael Advanced Defense System (Israel), Safran (France) and Liebherr Aerospace (France) highlighted their future plans, Joint Ventures, collaborations, partnerships with Indian companies for production of spares parts, development of aero-engines, setting up of Maintenance, Repair and Operations facilities and establishment of R&D facilities. Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat were among those who attended the CEOs Roundtable.

Bangalore,10th Feb 2025: “Aero India 2025, a confluence of critical & frontier technologies, will provide a platform to further strengthen relations among like-minded countries based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual benefit to deal with today’s uncertainties,” said Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh while inaugurating the 15th edition of Aero India at the Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 10, 2025. He exuded confidence that Aero India 2025 will showcase the country’s industrial capability and technological advancements to the world, while further strengthening symbiotic relations with friendly countries. Lasting peace can only be achieved if nations become stronger together and work for a Better World Order, he said. Raksha Mantri stated that the five-day event will witness the participation of Government Representatives, Industry Leaders, Air Force Officers, Scientists, Defence Sector Experts, Start-ups, Academia & other stakeholders from all across the globe, and this confluence would bring India’s partners closer to the benefit of all. “We often interact as buyers and sellers, where our relations are at a transactional level. However, at another level, we forge our partnership beyond the buyer-seller relationship to the level of Industrial Collaboration. We have many successful examples of co-production and co-development with like-minded countries. For us, there is no Indian security or Indian peace in isolation. Security, stability and peace are shared constructs that transcend national borders. The presence of our foreign friends is a testimony to the fact that our partners share our vision of One earth, One family, One future,” added Shri Rajnath Singh. Raksha Mantri pointed out that in the present environment of global uncertainty, India is one such big country which is witnessing peace and prosperity. “India has never attacked any country nor has it been involved in any great power rivalry. We have always been an advocate of peace and stability. It is part of our fundamental ideals,” he said. Shri Rajnath Singh told the Defence Ministers, senior officials and representatives of foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers present on the occasion that their cooperation with India is crucial for global peace, prosperity and stability. Shri Rajnath Singh asserted that India is going through a transformational phase, rapidly moving from a developing to a developed nation. He added that a vibrant and thriving defence industry ecosystem has been created in the country due to a concerted, sustained and well thought out roadmap by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He stressed that the defence industrial sector, which was earlier not viewed as a component of national economy, has today been fully integrated with the overall economy. The sector is now a motor, powering the growth engine of the Indian economy, he said. Raksha Mantri stated that the record allocation of Rs 6.81 lakh crore to Ministry of Defence in Union Budget 2025-26, including Rs 1.80 lakh crore for capital acquisition, is a proof that the Government considers defence as a top-priority sector. He added that like the previous budget, 75% of modernisation budget has been reserved for procurement through domestic sources with an aim to widen and deepen the capabilities of India’s Defence Industrial Complex. Shri Rajnath Singh reiterated the Government’s commitment towards enhancing the participation of private players in this overall growth story. “The private sector is going to play a big role in the economic mainstreaming. Due to its drive, resilience and entrepreneurship, the sector is capable of bringing a new wave of prosperity in the country. In many advanced countries, private industry has led defence production. The time has come that, here as well, the sector becomes an equal partner in the defence industry,” he said. Raksha Mantri added that the defence manufacturers are working with a collaborative approach to strengthen the defence sector, terming the joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus for the production of C-295 transport aircraft in Gujarat as a shining example of this cooperation. He added that today India has become a Globally Preferred Destination for Aerospace Components & Complex System Assembly and the public sector & private industries are playing an important role in this transformation. Shedding light on the accomplishments achieved from the last Aero India, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that a number of high-tech products such as Astra Missile, New Generation Akash Missile, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Unmanned Surface Vessel, Pinaka Guided Rocket are being manufactured within the country. He voiced the Government’s unwavering resolve to surpass the Rs 1.27 lakh crore defence production and Rs 21,000 crore defence exports figures in the coming times, and ensure that the defence sector moves ahead at an unprecedented pace. It may be recalled that during the curtain raiser press conference of Aero India 2025 last evening, Raksha Mantri had expressed confidence that defence production will exceed Rs 1.60 lakh crore by the end of 2025-26 and defence exports will surpass Rs 30,000 crore. On 2025 being declared as the ‘Year of Reforms’ in the Ministry of Defence, Raksha Mantri termed it as not just a government slogan, but the Government’s commitment towards reforms. He said the decisions for reforms are not being taken only at the Ministry level, but Armed Forces and DPSUs are also participating in this endeavour. “To take this drive of reforms forward more rapidly, there should be participation of all stakeholders in the defence sector. Suggestions from all stakeholders associated with the Ministry are welcome,” he said. Earlier, Shri Rajnath Singh welcomed the distinguished guests from across the world by enlightening them about the Indian tradition of Atithi Devo Bhava, which means ‘A Guest is Equivalent to God’ which, he said, can be witnessed clearly at the Maha Kumbh underway in the holy city of Prayagraj. “While Maha Kumbh is the Kumbh of introspection, Aero India is the Kumbh of research. While Maha Kumbh is focusing on internal strength, Aero India will centre on external strength. While Maha Kumbh showcases the culture of India, Aero India will display the power of India,” he added. The 15th edition of

New Delhi, 07th Feb, 2025: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has successfully completed airspace design and flight procedures for the Navi Mumbai International Airport and Noida International Airport (Jewar). This achievement underscores AAI’s expertise in managing complex airspace configurations, especially for airports situated near some of the busiest aviation hubs in the country. This milestone is pivotal in enhancing operational efficiency at these new airports, paving the way for future growth in one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets. As India’s Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP), AAI is entrusted with the management of Air Navigation Services across the nation, including at the upcoming airports at Navi Mumbai and Noida (Jewar). The AAI’s airspace as well as the flight procedure design team has meticulously crafted the airspace and Instrument Flight Procedures (IFPs) for the Navi Mumbai and Noida International (Jewar) Airport projects. These procedures are designed to optimize flight efficiency, significantly reducing emissions, track miles, and flight times for the multitude of daily flights traversing the Delhi-Mumbai air corridors. For accomplishment the objective AAI collaborated with M/s Boeing India which provided invaluable support through comprehensive simulation and conflict analysis. Utilizing M/s Boeing’s Total Airspace and Airport Modeler (TAAM) at Bengaluru, the development and validation of instrument flight procedures, including Standard Instrument Departures and Standard Terminal Arrivals, were enhanced. Vipin Kumar, Chairman, AAI, said that “In the context of the ongoing strategic partnership between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Boeing India, experts from Boeing collaborated with the AAI Flight Procedure Design team to assess and confirm the arrival and departure protocols for the new airports being developed in Jewar (Noida) and Navi Mumbai. The joint efforts have facilitated the safe and efficient integration of operations at these new airports with existing operations in Delhi IGI and Mumbai CSMIA airports. The anticipated increase in air traffic in both terminal areas will be managed in a way that conserves fuel and track miles for airlines, while also alleviating the workload for air traffic controllers and maintaining safe separation between aircraft at neighbouring international airports. This initiative marks the initial phase of expanding operations along the Delhi- Mumbai corridor, paving the way for a modern metroplex solution in the years to come”. The IFPs have undergone successful flight validation by a domestic airline operator and received approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India for implementation. These procedures are set to significantly improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of air traffic operations in India’s busiest air corridors. This achievement not only marks a significant step in operational efficiency at the new airports but also aligns with AAI’s commitment to the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiative. By driving sustainability and innovation through advanced technology, AAI continues to support the robust growth of India’s aviation industry.

Delhi,7th February 2025: SriLankan Airlines has introduced Yaana,’ an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered chatbot. Yaana is set to transform customer support and the way passengers interact with the airline by leveraging advanced AI and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to intelligently assist with a wide range of passenger inquiries. Developed in collaboration with CodeGen International (Pvt) Ltd., Yaana is now live on SriLankan Airlines’ corporate website. Chamara Perera, Group Head of Information Technology at SriLankan Airlines, commented on this latest advancement in customer engagement technology stating, “Yaana features a generative AI virtual assistant powered by GPT-4 technology and is equipped with sophisticated retrieval capabilities to enhance customer interactions and efficiently address inquiries. The system also utilises a conversational AI framework and custom AI algorithms to deliver rapid, accurate, empathetic and contextually relevant responses. By cross-referencing multiple policy documents, real-time data sets, including flight schedules, Yaana ensures that passengers receive reliable, tailored information.” Dimuthu Tennakoon, Head of Worldwide Sales and Distribution at SriLankan Airlines, expressed his enthusiasm about Yaana’s potential, stating, “Since going live, Yaana has handled close to 12,000 inquiries with remarkable efficiency, autonomously resolving 88% of them. Furthermore, with its scalability, we anticipate Yaana will manage five times the current volume. By providing 24/7 assistance, including real-time updates during disruptions, streamlined booking guidance and personalised support for complex queries, Yaana will significantly enhance customer service every step of the way.” The chatbot will prove especially indispensable during unplanned flight disruptions, a common occurrence in the airline industry, by assisting passengers in swiftly finding alternative travel options. Available globally, Yaana also has multilingual capabilities, making it accessible to SriLankan Airlines’ diverse, global customer base. __

Singapore, February 4th 2025: The Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to potentially source neat sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from Aether Fuels (Aether), a climate technology firm that plans to set up SAF production plants in the United States of America and South East Asia. The agreement outlines the SIA Group’s intention to procure neat SAF for five years when Aether plants begin commercial production, with an option for a five-year extension. The neat SAF will be blended with regular jet fuel before being supplied to selected airports served by Singapore Airlines and Scoot. Aether will use waste carbon feedstock to produce the fuel, employing its innovative and proprietary Aether AuroraTM technology. This method reduces plant capital cost, increases production efficiency, and achieves higher SAF yields compared to existing techniques. Ms Lee Wen Fen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Singapore Airlines, said: “This partnership marks another step in the SIA Group’s journey towards our long-term decarbonisation goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By collaborating with like-minded ecosystem partners such as Aether, we aim to accelerate and scale up the adoption of SAF in our flight operations, laying the groundwork for more sustainable air travel.” Aether was incubated and funded in 2022 by Xora, a deep tech venture firm backed by Temasek. Since then, it has grown its South East Asia team while expanding its operations in Chicago, where its research and development hub is located. Aether’s upcoming commercial-scale production projects in the United States of America and South East Asia will produce Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)-certified SAF. These projects are set to achieve a minimum greenhouse gas reduction of 75%, significantly contributing to the aviation industry’s sustainability efforts. Conor Madigan, Chief Executive Officer, Aether Fuels, said: “We are proud to join the SIA Group’s ecosystem of SAF technology innovators. Their decarbonisation goals are catalysing ingenuity throughout the supply chain and galvanising companies like Aether to develop production solutions that pair breakthrough technologies with next-generation feedstock strategies. The collaboration will deepen our understanding of the end-user customer priorities and of the SAF market, particularly in South East Asia. These advantages will further inform our project development programmes and accelerate our path to commercialisation.” Phil Inagaki, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer, Xora; Board Chair, Aether Fuels, said: “It is encouraging to see the SIA Group committing to meaningful sustainability goals and taking concrete steps to advance the adoption of SAF. Singapore has built a supportive environment for deep tech innovation, empowering companies like Aether to amplify the impact of transformative solutions to global challenges. Its Aurora™ breakthrough technology enables the production of SAF with the lowest green premium and most flexible, scalable feedstock. This collaboration with the SIA Group reflects a shared focus and commitment, making it a natural fit that will undoubtedly accelerate SAF innovation and adoption.”