Two 'Made in India' ALH Dhruv choppers would be used for showering petals during the main Independence Day event at the Red Fort on August 15, for the first time, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his tenth straight speech.
The showering of petals at the venue over the main Independence Day gathering near Red Fort started in 2021 after which Russian-made Mi-17 V5s were inducted.
“This year, two ALH Dhruv choppers would be used for the showering petals after the Prime Minister hoists the flag at the Red Fort,” defence sources said.
The choppers made by the HAL are a significant achievement of the defence public sector unit which came in for praise by the Prime Minister in his reply to no confidence motion on Thursday.
The petals will be showered by the choppers in the Amrut formation which have been drawing loud applause and cheers from the audience in the previous two events.
The Prime Minister will give his speech after the showering of petals, to honour the participators which will include 1800 special guests.
“Nearly 1,800 special guests drawn from various walks of life from all over the country will be part of Independence Day celebrations in the Capital,” defence ministry spokesperson A Bharat Bhushan Babu tweeted.