Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the country’s biennial Aero India show in Bangalore and said the country had “rejuvenated” its defence production sector in the last eight-nine years, drawing accusations from the Congress of taking credit for the aeroshow that started in 1996.

Showcasing India as an attractive destination for investment in the defence manufacturing sector, Modi said the country would move towards becoming one of the leading exporters of military hardware globally.

Modi, who wore a hat along with a kurta pyjama, inaugurated the 14th edition of Aero India at the YelahankaAir Force station complex on the outskirts of Bangalore.

In his speech, he said India had “rejuvenated” its defence production sector in the last eight-nine years and was looking at increasing the export of military hardware from $1.5 billion to $5 billion by 2024-25.

“Today, Aero India is India’s strength and not just a show,” the Prime Minister said while making a strong appeal to the private sector to make big investments in defence manufacturing. He described Aero India as an example of India’s growing potential.

“The country, which was the biggest defence importer for decades, is now exporting defence equipment to 75 countries of the world,” Modi said, adding that India’s defence exports have increased six times in the last five years and crossed $1.5 billion.

The Congress accused Modi of taking the credit for the aero show that started in 1996 and is held in Bangalorebecause of the presence of organisations there tracing their origins to the Nehruvian era.

“The man in fancy dress claims credit for Aero India, the show held in Bengaluru. The truth is it started way back in 1996 and gained in strength over the years. It’s held in Bengaluru simply because of the presence of organisations there tracing their origins to the Nehruvian era,” Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter.

The five-day aerospace exhibition, considered the largest in Asia, is being attended by representatives of 98 countries and over 700 Indian and foreign defence companies. The major highlight of Aero India was two F-35 fighter aircraft which landed from the US in the afternoon — the stealthy, supersonic, multi roleF-35A Lightning II and F-35A Joint Strike Fighter.