AEDEX + AIRPORT Expo 2026 opens in New Delhi, highlighting India’s aviation ambitions

By Aroonim Bhuyan

New Delhi, Sep 10. India’s growing aerospace, defence and civil aviation capabilities came into focus as the three-day AEDEX + AIRPORT Expo 2026 opened here September 10, bringing together defence manufacturers, aerospace companies, airport infrastructure firms, technology providers, investors and government agencies.

Vishvajit Sahay, Secretary (Defence Finance) in the Ministry of Defence, inaugurated the Expo at the India International Convention Centre (IICC), observing that India is on its way, and that “we have made certain strides, but there is still a long way to go.”

The Indian aerospace and defence market is projected to reach $70 billion by 2030, potentially creating substantial opportunities for both domestic and international companies.

The inaugural international conference and exhibition is positioned as a business and technology platform aimed at promoting collaboration across the aviation, airport infrastructure, aerospace and defence sectors. It provides an opportunity for domestic and global companies to showcase advanced technologies and explore partnerships and investment opportunities in India.

Secretary Defence Finance is a key appointment for coordinating and approving funding for the country’s defence acquisitions and modernization.

“It’s a very good initiative taken by the organisers to organise something on this scale in what is a very niche area, a very niche sector. A sector where there is so much which is to be achieved and a roadmap to attain the Government’s goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 has been laid.”

“It’s a privilege to be here to address the participants in this AEDEX and AIRPORT function,” Sahay said later while addressing the media at the show.

Leading public and private sector companies and organisations, including HAL, BEL, ISRO, DRDO, DGQA, Cochin International Airport Limited(CIAL) and more than 670 startups, MSMEs and individual innovators are there at the AEDEX. They have participated in defence challenge programmes or entered into contracts to develop operational prototypes for the Indian armed forces.

Ravi K, CMD, HAL, inaugurated the HAL Pavilion.

Sahay, India’s leading missile scientist Dr VK Saraswat, and many participants visited the HAL pavilion and showed keen interest in the products on display.

Several deep-tech companies, including ideaForge, NewSpace Research and Technologies and Raphe mPhibr, have emerged as prominent players in the ecosystem and have collectively attracted more than $700 million in venture funding, according to the organisers. These companies were there.

Focus on Indigenous Innovations

The event comes as the government seeks to strengthen India’s position as a global aerospace and defence manufacturing hub through initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India). The sector has witnessed significant expansion in recent years, with greater emphasis on indigenous design, research, advanced manufacturing and public-private partnerships.

Defence-civil aviation convergence

A key theme of the expo is the growing convergence between defence technologies and civil aviation through the development of dual-use technologies.

Technologies such as autonomous navigation, advanced perception and sensing systems and unmanned platforms, initially developed for military applications, are increasingly finding potential uses in civilian aviation and airport operations. Deep-tech startups are consequently developing technology platforms that can cater to both defence and commercial requirements.

The state-run HAL, India’s main aerospace company set up in 1964,  has emerged as an important player in this evolving ecosystem, particularly through its engagement with aerospace and defence startups under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework.

“At this civil-military aerospace and defence ecosystem expo, HAL is showcasing its capabilities across design, development, manufacturing, MRO and upgrades of aerospace and defence platforms, systems and components,” the public sector company posted on its X handle.

HAL Safran Helicopter Engines

HAL is about developing fighter jets, avionics and helicopters.

It recently signed a final agreement with the French Safran Helicopter Engines to jointly develop and manufacture a new-generation helicopter engine in India. The partnership is being viewed as an important step towards strengthening India’s indigenous aerospace propulsion capabilities.

HAL is also a co-founder of the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), which oversees the iDEX initiative aimed at promoting innovation and entrepreneurship in the aerospace and defence sectors.

The public-sector aerospace major has also expanded its partnerships with private industry and public-sector enterprises for the production of major structural components for the indigenous Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand. Its partners include Adani Defence Systems and BEML.

In another area, HAL has secured the transfer of design and manufacturing rights for LiDAR-based Obstacle Avoidance Systems (OAS) from global technology partners, including Hensoldt Sensors. The move is expected to help establish domestic integration and manufacturing capabilities involving Indian tier-1 suppliers and startups.

Startup-focused defence challenges at the expo and within the wider ecosystem are concentrating on areas such as autonomous systems, predictive algorithms, intelligent machines, advanced aviation composites and specialised rocket and jet-engine components.

AMCA adds momentum to indigenous aerospace push

The government’s recent approval of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme has further strengthened India’s push towards self-reliance in advanced military aviation.

The fifth-generation fighter aircraft programme is expected to provide a major platform for collaboration between public-sector organisations, private companies, startups and research institutions. It is also likely to accelerate indigenous capabilities in advanced design, manufacturing, materials and aerospace technologies. This is where the initiatives and capabilities of public and private sector companies are coming into play. AEDEX is the right platform for them, to show what they have, and come together in collaboration as required.

Airport Infrastructure

Meanwhile, the civil aviation and airport infrastructure sectors are undergoing rapid expansion. India has established itself as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, while the number of operational airports has more than doubled since 2014.

The expansion, supported by substantial government spending as well as private-sector investment, has created a growing ecosystem spanning airport development, aviation technology, passenger infrastructure, air-traffic systems and associated services.

Against this backdrop, AEDEX + AIRPORT Expo 2026 seeks to bring the defence and civil aviation ecosystems closer together, providing a common platform for technology companies, manufacturers, investors and policymakers to identify new areas of cooperation and business.