India is moving closer to becoming self-reliant in aircraft manufacturing. Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has announced that the country’s first fully indigenous civil aircraft is expected to take flight within the next two years.
Speaking at a special plenary session of the 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam, the minister highlighted India’s rapid growth in aviation infrastructure. He said the number of airports in the country had increased from 74 in 2014 to 166 today. The UDAN scheme has played a major role in making air travel accessible to ordinary citizens. India’s annual air passenger traffic has now reached 25 crore.
The government has set an ambitious target of building another 100 airports and 200 modern heliports by 2036 under the second phase of the UDAN scheme. The programme has been launched with an allocation of Rs 30,000 crore to strengthen regional air connectivity.
Naidu also highlighted the role of technology in improving passenger convenience. The introduction of Digi Yatra has reduced airport entry time from 90 seconds to just 20 seconds at participating airports.
Highlighting Andhra Pradesh’s aviation potential, the minister said Bhogapuram International Airport had been completed six months ahead of schedule. He also noted that the state government was working to establish an Aerospace and Defence City near Lepakshi in Anantapur district.
The minister further revealed plans to introduce seaplane services connecting Prakasam Barrage and Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh with Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad. He said aircraft component manufacturing, maintenance and repair services, drones and air taxis offered significant investment opportunities. He encouraged industries and young entrepreneurs to explore these emerging sectors.
The summit also focused on expanding India’s aviation network, strengthening airport and airline capacity and making the country’s civil aviation industry more competitive globally.
sri
