Bengaluru, Feb 3 (IANS): Karnataka chief minister B. S. Yediyurappa on Wednesday subtly batted in favour of Bengaluru as the metropolis best suited to hold biennial Aero India Shows.

Delivering his speech at the 13th Aero India Show in presence of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Yelahanka air base here, Yediyurappa said, "I thank the union government for considering to hold this popular event amid pandemic fears. This is in a way affirmation of Karnataka's capabilities to hold events (Aero India) of this magnitude."

He added that over the 25 years Bengaluru has with help of successive governments created adequate infrastructure to hold events of this scale. "Bengaluru is not only an IT hub but also conducive for the Aerospace industry. Bengaluru's share in defence exports is 67 per cent while in Aerospace sector, we contribute 65 per cent of the nations' exports. Therefore, Bengaluru has all the paraphernalia to organise such an event," he contended.

According to him, besides infrastructure, Bengaluru is also home for reputed research and development centres and prestigious institutions which teach this subject.

"In order to encash this huge potential, way back in 2008 itself the then (ruling BJP) government formulated an Aerospace policy and also established a 10,000 acre aerospace park near Kempe Gowda International Airport (KIA)," he explained.

He also added that Karnataka had already cleared two aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) projects that will be established in Bengaluru and Hassan airports respectively.

The Chief Minister also asserted that Karnataka had become a green power surplus state. "Our renewable energy sources are producing more electricity than other means of power generations. With big green power generation (solar and wind) parks coming up across the state, Karnataka is a power surplus state now, " he said and invited more and more MSME units to come up to tap the enormous potential aerospace industry has thrown open.