Bengaluru: Avia India ’93! That was the country’s first air show at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, in December 1993, with a lone MiG-29 jet flying past to mark the fruition of late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s dream of hosting an international aviation exhibition on Indian soil, but driven by the leader’s Doon School buddy and Managing Director, CONVEX, Mr Anand Sethi. He not only networked with the Union and state governments, but event spent Rs 25 lakh well before others could open their purse strings. Interestingly, the air show moved to Air Force Station, Yelahanka, as top honchos at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), who initially gave their word that HAL airport would be the venue, did not sign a formal approval for the event.
“It was Mr Anand's courage that made the beginning and of course thereafter there were miracles after miracles as some amazing people in the aviation network, and the governments in New Delhi and Bengaluru, who stepped in and helped us organise the event,” Mrs Sugandha Sukrutaraj, the face of Avia India ’93, and then regional head of CONVEX, told Deccan Chronicle.
Sugandha Sukrutaraj, the face of Avia India ’93
She recalled how the then Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Nirmal Chandra Suri, who was on the same flight from Paris at the end of Le Bourget Air Show in June 1993, offered option of three venues: Air Force Station, Tambaram, the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Dundigal, and Air Force Station, Yelahanka, when he discovered that HAL had not issued a formal letter of approval for the air show.
“Yelahanka seemed the obvious choice,” she said, adding Air Marshal Denzil Keelor, then air adviser to DGCA, stepped in and convinced all aircraft to land in Bengaluru for re-fuelling while heading home after the Malaysian Air Show, ensuring their participation in this three-day event (December 15-18). “He was my mentor right through the entire process of organising Avia India ’93”, she said.
With the Air Headquarters and DRDO supporting the event, the state government not only released Rs 30 lakh for the construction of a boundary wall around the air force station, but also laid afresh the road from Bengaluru to the venue thanks to the initiative of then Chief Secretary J.C. Lynn. The top bureaucrat also called his batch-mate in Delhi to make sure that officers of Customs and Immigration arrive in the city to meet the requirements of aircraft landing and taking off from Bengaluru.
Kamov helicopter at Avia India ’93
She said, “I walked into the Le Bourget ATC in my Kanchivaram saree and butterflies in my stomach and I can never forget the kindness shown by Claude Martin, Flight Director of Paris Air Show. Fortunately the organizers of Farnborough Air Show were also at that meeting, and I got more answers from the Flight Director of Avia India '93, Group Capt Ajit Agtey, commandant of ASTE, who did a brilliant job of managing the air display. The ground crew under the leadership of late Group Captain Niteen Gupte, Span Aviation worked miracles through Avia India '93”
Besides being the first air show in the country, Avia India ’93 had another first: the first Indian in space, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma, was the commentator! Wing Commander B.J. Vaz joined him in the commentator’s box to describe the manoeuvres of jets like Mirage 2000, Sea Harriers, the Hawk trainer aircraft and Kamov helicopter.
She complimented her teammates Jammu Janakiram, Sripad, Ravi, Ponappa and the late Thomas Abraham who worked round the clock to fix all glitches ahead of the air show.
In 1996, the Ministry of Defence stepped in to organise the first Aero India, and turn it into a biennial event.
Day 1 Aero India 2017 (Feb. 14 to 18)
- Inauguration of Aero India 2017 by defence minister Mr Manohar Parrikar: 9-30 AM
- Mr Manohar Parrikar to accord clearance for induction of indigenous AEW&C by IAF: 11 AM.
- British minister of defence procurement, Mrs Harriet Baldwin, to unveil advanced Hawk aircraft: 1250 PM
- Post-inaugural press conference of Mr Manohar Parrikar: 1-00 PM.
- Inauguration of Global CEOs conclave on Aerospace and defence manufacturing opportunities in Andhra Pradesh under ‘Make in India’ initiative: 2-30 PM.
