India will give a grand welcome to international aviation industry heavyweights when it hosts the 8th edition of 'Aero India 2011' from February 9-13 at the Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru.

The biennial event, pegged to be Asia's premier air show, will provide a dedicated platform to aerospace and aviation sector bigwigs to showcase their products and technological know-how before a large number of participants.

The exhibition will be organised by the Indian Ministry of Defence in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Two days prior to the exhibition, an international seminar on 'Aero & Space Technologies - Success Through Global Cooperation' will be organised by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) in association with the Aeronautical Society of India.

The seminar from February 7-9 will be a convergence hub for aerospace scientists, designers, manufacturers, operators as well as the academia to put forth their ideas which could lead to collaborative programmes in research & development and manufacturing.

About 60 eminent speakers from India and abroad are expected to take part in the seminar.

As the global aviation and aerospace sector braces up for new roles and challenges while catering to the needs of a growing list of demanding customers, Aero India 2011 certainly offers a lucrative platform by opening up many new avenues for businesses, deals, joint ventures and technology transfer.