First buy: Azal turns to HAL's light chopper.

(From The Economic Times)

Byline: Girish Rao

PARIS: While close to 1,700 aviation companies of all sizes and colours are rubbing shoulders over nearly 3,00,000 sq metres of space at the 50th air show here in Le Bourget, in its own quiet way aeronautical major HAL has made history for India by displaying a new generation desi aircraft for the first time on western soil.

The multi-role all weather and terrain advanced light helicopter (ALH), Dhruv, appears to have won many hearts and possibly a few customers with its very attractive price tag of $5.5 million, breezy aerial sorties, its composite material body and modern Israeli avionics and weapon …