Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering during International Air Transport Association’s 81st Annual General Meeting, in New Delhi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday invited investments into the country’s aviation sector, which he said is poised to reach unprecedented heights.

Addressing the International Air Transport Association’s 81st Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, PM Modi noted that the new Indian Aircraft Act aligns aviation laws with global best practices, presenting significant investment opportunities.

“The new Indian Aircraft Act aligns aviation laws with global best practices, ensuring a streamlined regulatory framework, ease of compliance, and a simplified tax structure, which presents a significant investment opportunity for major international aviation companies,” the PM said.

He highlighted that growth in the aviation sector translates to new flights, new jobs, and new possibilities, noting that the industry is creating expanding opportunities for pilots, crew members, engineers, and ground staff.

Besides, the Prime Minister pointed to the emergence of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) as a “sunrise sector”, stating that India is accelerating efforts to become a global hub for aircraft maintenance. He cited that in 2014, India had 96 MRO facilities, which has now increased to 154.

Moreover, 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route, GST reduction, and tax rationalisation measures have given fresh momentum to India’s MRO sector.

PM Modi further outlined India’s goal to establish a $4 billion MRO hub by 2030, reinforcing the nation’s aviation growth strategy.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister stressed that India should not be viewed merely as an aviation market but as a value-chain leader.

He said that from “design to delivery”, India is becoming an integral part of the global aviation supply chain. The PM further asserted that India’s direction and pace are on the right track, expressing confidence in the nation’s continued rapid progress.

‘Design in India’

In addition, PM Modi urged aviation companies to not only embrace ‘Make in India’ but also ‘Design in India’.

Underlining that consistent reforms have been a key driver of India’s rapidly expanding aviation sector, the Prime Minister stressed India’s commitment to becoming a global manufacturing hub, with strategic initiatives supporting this vision.

He mentioned that “Mission Manufacturing” was announced in this year’s budget, reinforcing India’s focus on industrial growth.

Expressing his confidence in India’s growing significance in the global aviation ecosystem, he said, “Today, India is emerging as a global leader in space-aviation convergence.”

Additionally, the Prime Minister pointed out India’s remarkable transformation in civil aviation over the past years. “India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world,” he said.

Emphasising the success of the regional connectivity UDAN scheme, he called it a golden chapter in Indian civil aviation history.

PM Modi stated that under this initiative, over 15 million passengers have benefited from affordable air travel, enabling many citizens to fly for the first time.

The Prime Minister also remarked that India’s airlines continue to achieve double-digit growth, with 240 million passengers flying annually—surpassing the total population of most countries worldwide.

He projected that by 2030, this number is expected to reach 500 million passengers. PM Modi noted that 3.5 million metric tons of cargo are transported by air annually in India, and this volume is set to increase to 10 million metric tons by the end of this decade.

Published on June 2, 2025