However, looking back at the past five days, many air show regulars and businessmen said they found the aerobatics muted, the planes fewer and the business buzz lower. But for Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s modest announcements and other MoUs with defence public sector units, business teams did not offer any significant news during the programme – a contrast from the bustling activity and frenetic interaction seen in the previous years. However, others believed that an air show was not a place to strike business deals, rather to “make their presence felt.”Defence Exhibition Organisation, the organising arm of the Ministry of Defence, however, confidently termed the show a success. “It drew unprecedented crowds that bear testimony to the premier Asian air show having come of age.”The Ministry estimates that around 1.5 lakh business visitors and a whopping four lakh general public visited the expo. French fighter Rafale, which has finally bagged the government’s purchase deal, and the Swedish hopefuls Gripen Fighter Jets, did their pirouettes.

Source: The Hindu February 19, 2017 01:18 UTC