By Gulshan Luthra, IANS
Paris : The India market seems to be the focus at the Paris Air Show that opened here Monday with global majors eyeing its huge civil and military aviation potential and with the country itself seeking export orders for an indigenously developed advanced light helicopter (ALH).
Nearly 2,000 participants from around 80 countries are taking part in the prestigious biannual air show.
India's Minister of State for Defence Production Rao Inderjit Singh, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal F.H. Major, Defence Production Secretary K.P Singh, Coast Guard chief Vice Admiral Rusi Contractor and top army, navy, air force and coast guard officials are at the show to witness the displays and examine what can be useful for the Indian armed forces.
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) that builds the ALH has brought three of these machines here and hopes to market them abroad.
Chile is already considering buying the ALH.
One of the ALHs conducted an impressive aerobatic display Monday. HAL chairman and manging director Ashok Baweja is also present here.
Among the leading Indian companies taking part are HCL, Satyam Computers and Tata Consultancy Services, all of whom have already signed major software networking contracts with international aviation companies like Boeing and Airbus.
The minister inaugurated the HCL chalet, where details of the company's latest agreements with Boeing for embedded software for its B-787 Dreamliner 787 and with Smiths Aviation were disclosed.
HCL has already provided software for the British Royal Air Force (RAF) Nimrod surveillance aircraft and the massive Airbus A-380.