Aero India 2021: HAL braves the winds of COVID
The ‘Make in India’ policy and a move towards industrial self-reliance in defence was the mantra as Aero India 2021 began on 3 February in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
India has attempted to turn the COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity, by tapping into the potential of its SME base while also keeping the wheels of major firms such as Tata, Mahindra, and Larsen and Toubro fully oiled.
Government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has taken a lead, by forging a relationship with the private sector as an ally not a competitor.
For example, HAL recently allowed private firms
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