Top Stories

Montreal; 28th Sept 2022: On the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between International Solar Alliance (ISA) and ICAO in the presence of Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation of India, H.E. Monsieur Clement Beaunne, Minister of Transport of France and Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the ICAO Council. The MoU was signed by Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary-General, ICAO and Joshua Wycliffe, Chief of Operations, ISA.During the visit of Jyotiraditya Scindia to Montreal in May 2022, the idea of ICAO becoming a partner organisation of ISA was mooted by the Minister in his meeting with the President of ICAO. In a period of four months, the MoU was agreed and concluded. The conclusion of the MoU between ISA and ICAO in the presence of Ministers from India and France carries forward the legacy of the bold initiative laid down by Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and H.E. Francois Hollande, former President of France in 2015 at COP 21 in Paris. The ISA is an alliance of 121 signatory countries and 32 partner organizations including many UN organizations. ISA works for efficient consumption of solar energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. ISA strives to devise cost effective and transformational solutions for using renewable energy to member countries with a particular focus in delivering on impact in LDCs and SlDCs.India has pledged for Net Zero Carbon goal in 2070 in COP 26. Its approach continues to be human-centric, based on respect and national ownership principles, with a commitment to one and all. India has pledged a target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy of which 100 GW will be solar energy by 2022 and reduction in emission intensity by 33-35% by 2030, to let solar energy reach the most unconnected villages and communities. Cochin International Airport in India became the world’s first fully Solar powered airport in the world in 2015. India, with the support of France, has invited nations to facilitate infrastructure for implementation of solar projects. The alliance has committed one trillion dollars as an investment, and it is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities.ICAO is committed towards reducing carbon emissions in aviation sector through its numerous initiatives and goals. In this noble initiative, the Partnership between ISA and ICAO through this MoU could not have come at a better time, as it will trigger a range of interventions towards developing capacity of States to use solar energy. It will work towards providing information, providing advocacy, capacity building and demonstration projects. It will enable the solarization of aviation sector across all Member States.

New Delhi, 23rd Sept. 2022: Providing further impetus to Aatmanirbharta in defence production, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) signed a contract today with M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (BAPL) for acquisition of additional dual-role capable Surface to Surface BrahMos missiles at an overall approximate cost of Rs. 1700 Crore under “Buy-Indian” Category. Induction of these dual-role capable Missiles is going to significantly enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy (IN) fleet assets. It is notable that BAPL is a Joint Venture (JV) between India and Russia making crucial contribution to augment the new generation Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSMs) with enhanced range and dual role capability for land as well as anti-ship attacks. This contract is going to give further boost to indigenous production of critical weapon system and ammunition with active participation of indigenous industry.

New Delhi, 23rd September 2022: In line with the decision of Govt. of India, a total of 1924 Private Security Agency (PSA) Security personnel will be deployed at 60 airports in place of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) posted at non-core duty posts. The above decision will reduce the Security expenditure and these CISF personnel can be deployed at other airports which will further strengthen the security set-up. This will further help in operationalization of new Domestic & International Airports. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has appointed 581 Security personnel from Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) sponsored Security Agencies for Non-Core posts at 45 Airports. These Security personnel will be deployed after completion of Aviation Security (AVSEC) training program at selected airports. As on date, 161 DGR personnel for 16 airports are attending AVSEC training programs and they will be deployed after completion of training from 24th September 2022. At Kolkata Airport, already 74 DGR Security personnel have been deployed from 09th September 2022 after attending the AVSEC training program. Deployment process of the remaining security personnel is under process.

New Delhi, September 14, 2022: RattanIndia Enterprises announced the launch of ‘Defender’ by its company TAS (Throttle Aerospace Systems). The unveiling took place at the hands of Gen. V.K. Singh, MOS, Civil Aviation, Govt. of India at Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, Delhi during the ‘Unmanned Aerial Systems India, 2022’ event. Defender is an indigenously developed tracking and capturing system for rogue drones. Defender is loaded with 13 pre-programmed to neutralize the rogue drones. With rising instances of drone-based aerial threats to restricted installations under defence and private airspace, this solution will provide a first-of-a-kind capability to the Indian defence establishment to get rid of rogue drones flying over unauthorized airspace. TAS product is developed with AI (artificial intelligence) capabilities to take real-time decisions to facilitate the capture and subsequent retrieval of rogue drones. Defender employs a soft kill approach wherein a net capture mechanism is utilized. Defender is thus able to instantaneously neutralize emergent threat before it can render any harm. Moving at top speeds of 26 m/s ( ̴95km/hr) with range up to 20 kms in a single flight, the fast response time of Defender will considerably limit the potential of the rogue drone to inflict damage. Most importantly, this will be manufactured completely in India using indigenous technologies and will contribute to the ‘Make in India’ program. Commenting on the occasion, Anjali Rattan, Business Chairperson of RattanIndia Enterprises Limited said,“We are pleased to have the opportunity to unveil this product at the Unmanned Aerial Systems India, 2022 in presence of the members from the armed forces, the defence establishment and industry. ‘Drone Defender’ is an important addition to our new product line-up at TAS and to our strategy of supporting the drone solutions economy through advanced, home-grown offerings. I am proud of our TAS team, which has developed ‘Drone Defender’ to support our armed forces. Drone-based threats continue to challenge important assets globally and through this offering we are levelling the playing field while also protecting lives.” Nagendran Kandasamy, Founder & CEO of TAS said, “Drone Defender represents a key milestone in India’s journey of self-reliance in defence preparedness. With in-house development of the core hardware and software technologies and domestic design & manufacturing, the product also represents a new flagship offering from the NeoSky and TAS teams. Incorporating deep tech, combining sophisticated hardware and AI based decision-making for targeting rogue drones, ‘Drone Defender’ can effectively neutralize threats without any human intervention. “ Defence forces and private industry largely rely on imported drones, acquired at a significantly higher cost to defend assets. ‘Done Defender’ envisions a local solution, at a highly competitive operating cost. TAS is aligned to undertake manufacture and sales of initial batches of the product in the coming weeks and is in dialogue with select institutions for pre-sales demonstrations. ‘Drone Defender’ is the 4th novel product to join the repertoire of TAS’s defence drones. TAS has been the first company to successfully complete BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) pilot, flying with a delivery load of 5kg. It has gained experience and commercial competence in defence segment through surveillance and logistics drone systems.

Bengaluru, 14 September 2022: Australia’s national airline Qantas has today launched a new route from Bengaluru (BLR) to Sydney (SYD), providing the first direct connection between Southern India and Australia by any airline. QF68 will cut nearly three hours off the current fastest travel time between the two cities and significantly boost connectivity between India and New South Wales. Since the announcement of the new service earlier this year, the route has seen strong demand, with both the outbound and inbound inaugural flights sold out in all cabins. The new services will provide new tourism opportunities for Bengaluru and India, with a direct gateway for Australian tourists to experience all that India has to offer. For people living in Bengaluru and southern India, it’s a convenient non-stop flight to Sydney for a dream holiday or to visit friends and family. Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the flights will boost tourism and economic relations and opportunities between Australia and India.“The addition of Bengaluru to our route map deepens our ties with India and follows the launch of direct services from Australia to Delhi last year which has also proven popular. Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia’s two largest cities and the north and south of India.” Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Satyaki Raghunath said the start of the new Qantas Bengaluru – Sydney route was a historic moment for BLR Airport. “It gives us immense pleasure to welcome Australia’s national airline Qantas to BLR Airport. This is a historic occasion considering that it is the first ever non-stop service connecting South and Central India to Australia. The flights will reduce travel time over existing options and will make access to Australia and points beyond, including New Zealand and the Pacific Islands easy, particularly for leisure travellers, corporates, sports enthusiasts and students who go there for higher studies. “This connection is even more special because it is the eighth one world carrier to begin operations from BLR Airport. The addition of this flight also puts the focus back on BLR Airport’s commitment to introducing new routes and opportunities for tourism and trade between South India and Australia.” Qantas has recently launched the first phase of its codeshare partnership with IndiGo. There are currently 11 destinations available for Qantas customers to connect with on IndiGo to and from Bengaluru, including Mumbai, Goa, Kolkata and Chennai. The codeshare will continue to roll out over the coming months, broadening access and making it easier for Qantas customers in India to connect with the new direct flights to Sydney. Qantas will fly an A330 aircraft from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport to Sydney four times per week on a Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

EASA approval for state-of-the-art facility at Cochin International Airport enhances indigenous maintenance capacity, promoting Atmanirbharta in aviation & aerospace maintenance Delhi, 13th Sept 2022: Air Works MRO has announced receiving the European Aviation Safety Agency’s [EASA] Part 145 Approval for its state-of-the-art twin-hangar MRO facility at the Cochin International Airport.With EASA approval, Air Works will be able to offer full MPD support for the Airbus 320 family (including A318/ A319/ A320/ A321) for Base maintenance [up to and including 120-month inspection for all 4 engine options viz. PW1100G, CFM 56, Leap-1A and IAE V2500], C-Checks, structural and corrosion inspections, as well as undertaking major repairs and modifications for the Airbus 320 aircraft family, in addition to End- of-lease-transitions, bridging checks and engine changes. At the occasion, D Anand Bhaskar, Managing Director & CEO, Air Works Group said, “We are excited to enhance our EASA-certified capacity and capabilities which will expand the scale of our operations and support to regional aircraft operators and global lessors. EASAs 145 approval of our Kochi facility was a much-awaited and long-overdue milestone and is a step forward in accelerating indigenous maintenance, complementing the country’s ambition of becoming Atmanirbhar and an MRO hub. I take this occasion to acknowledge the relentless commitment of our Quality team who have been instrumental in securing this approval.” The location of the Kochi MRO facility [at the Cochin Int’l Airport] is strategic, given that Kochi has been a hub for leading carriers from the Middle East. The EASA 145 approval comes at a time when Air Works recently expanded its operations to Dubai in an endeavor to enhance access to its cost-effective and industry- leading workmanship to both international and domestic carriers, reinforcing its position of being India’s most loved MRO. The Kochi facility – commissioned in March 2021 during the pandemic, is already certified by the DGCA. It is also a DGCA-certified facility for Air Works’ Business Aviation (General Aviation) customers for a variety for aircraft. Commenting on the development,Mangesh Karyakarte, Chief Sales Officer – Commercial & Defense MRO, Air Works Group said, “With EASA Part 145 approval, we are now uniquely poised to offer flexible maintenance support to our customers from two independent facilities providing end-to-end Engineering & maintenance services. The approval enables us offer and undertake a comprehensive series of maintenance checks and repairs, ranging from simple to complex ones on A320 aircraft that dominate the narrow body market in India, including the various airworthiness directives (AD) & Supplemental Type Certifications (STC) from time to time.” He further added, “Over time, I see Kochi becoming a preferred maintenance facility for both domestic as well as incoming carriers from the SAARC, South-East Asia, Middle East and North Africa.” The twin-hangar MRO facility at Kochi, spread over 50,000 sqm, has been thoughtfully designed and is a completely integrated, independent setup, housing key workshops equipped to undertake structures, interiors, and composites repairs to support timely aircraft maintenance & turnaround. Kochi complements Air Works’ primary facility at Hosur [Tamil Nadu], which incidentally, is India’s first EASA-certified Commercial MRO facility [2009]. In addition to the Airbus320 family, Hosur also offers full MPD support for ATR 42-400/500/72-212A and Boeing 737-600/700/800 and 900.

Tokyo, 9th Sept 2022: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh alongwith External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has visited Japan for the Bilateral 2+2 meetings. During the course of discussions, both the ministers had wide spectrum of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest with Japan. Being the two thriving democracies in Asia, both India & Japan are pursuing a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. This year is significant for both India and Japan, as both the nation are celebrating 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations. India & Japan discussed on the progress in the military to military cooperation and exchanges between the two sides. Talks were also made to further increase the scope and complexities of bilateral exercises. Both the nation established staff talks and High-level dialogue between all the three Services and the Coast Guard and they agreed on Staff Talks between the Joint Staff of the Japanese Self Defense Forces and the Integrated Defence Staff of India. The participation of Japan for the first time in the multilateral exercise MILAN and operationalization of the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement in March this year are milestones in the progress of defence cooperation between the two forces.. The Defiance Minster said,“ Enhancing the Defence Equipment and Technological Cooperation between India and Japan is one of our key priority areas. In our meeting today, I had the opportunity to propose engagements in emerging and critical technological domains. I have also invited the Japanese defence companies to look at opportunities in investing in the Indian Defence Corridors.” The Minster further said,“ We held extensive discussions on ways to enhance maritime cooperation including Maritime Domain Awareness. There is consensus on both sides that a strong India-Japan relationship is very important for a free, open, rule-based and inclusive Indo-Pacific based upon sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) shares many commonalities with Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). India has also developed maritime cooperation with regional partners in consonance with our inclusive vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).” India’s relationship with ASEAN has emerged as a key corner stone of the foreign policy. Through ADMM Plus, both India and Japan are working together with ASEAN and other Plus countries for strengthening cooperation across domains including maritime security, HADR, Peace Keeping Operations etc.

29th August 2022; Bangkok: The Defence Minister of Thailand, Gen Prayut, officially launched the Defence & Security 2022 exhibition, being held in the Challenger Hall at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre. The exhibition, which runs until Sept 1, has brought together advanced weapons and state-of-the-art defence technology from more than 15 countries including the United States, France, Israel, Germany,South Korea, China and the Czech Republic. During his opening remarks, Gen Prayut thanked foreign dignitaries, military leaders and entrepreneurs in the defence industry for putting together one of the Asean’s key events. The expo had maximum visitors at the 155mm autonomous truck-mounted gun and a US Army XM5 assault rifle. The 2022 show has over 500 world-leading military and internal security manufacturers from 50 countries including 30 top national pavilions.

Delhi; 27th August 2022: In the recent visit of Tanzanian Minister of Defence and National Service Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax to India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with his counterpart on various key issues. The officials discussed various issues concerning bilateral, regional and defence industrial cooperation during the meeting. The two Ministers reviewed the existing military-to-military activities and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in all domains with a focus on defence industry cooperation. The defence ministers of both the nation agreed to the formation of a Task Force to prepare a Five Year Future Road map for enhancing defence cooperation between both the countries and to hold the next Joint Defence Cooperation meeting in Tanzania at an early date. The Raksha Mantri also invited his Tanzanian counterpart to the India-Africa Defence Dialogue and DefExpo which is scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between 18-22 October, 2022. The Tanzanian Minister of Defence and National Service visited the National War Memorial and paid homage to the fallen heroes by laying wreath at the monument. Dr Tax would be visiting Wargaming Development Centre and Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region before departing for Hyderabad for interaction with the Indian Defence Industries.