Why in news? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a large-scale drone exhibition called “Bharat Drone Shakti 2023” at the Hindon airbase in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.

Highlights:

• The Event is a collaborative effort between the Indian Air Force and the Drone Federation of India (DFI).
• The exhibition had demonstrations of diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agriculture drones, fire suppression drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-lift logistics drones and loitering munition systems.

Other events in the exhibition

• The Defence Minister formally inducted the C-295 transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force during the event
• IAF initiated Meher Baba Swarm Drone competition was organized to harness the burgeoning drone technology sector in India
• According to Drone Federation of India, approximately 75 drones are on static display, with more than 50 set to be showcased in aerial displays throughout the event