Date:30/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/30/stories/2006103015930300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Call for national aerospace policy

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Air Marshal P.S. Ahluwalia, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, has called for a national aerospace policy that would convert India into a global player.

He was inaugurating the 20th National Convention of Aerospace Engineers, organised by the Institution of Engineers here on Sunday. Air Marshal Ahluwalia said aerospace power would play a major role in the development of any nation. Aerospace power is a synergistic application of aerospace information. India has to become an aerospace power if it wants to play a global role, he said. He said efforts have been taken to integrate and coordinate aerospace power and the need of the nation in this sector needs to be defined clearly.

The convention honoured Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, in absentia for his contribution to the development of space research. The convention also honoured Air Vice-Marshal K.B. Kurup (Retd.) for his contribution to the profession of aerospace engineering.

The two-day convention would focus on `Indian Aerospace - Present scene and future trends' spread over five technical sessions.

Exhibition

The Institution of Engineers' India in association with Aero Club will organise an exhibition of aircraft models and aerobatics by radio controlled model aircraft in connection with the national convention.

The exhibition will be held at the Pangode Military Grounds on Monday at 4.30 p.m., according to the IE(I) Kerala Centre secretary N. Rajkumar.