Lok Sabha Question No. 187 (STARRED), answered on 2026-02-12
Subject: Emergence of India as Global Aviation Hub
Ministry: CIVIL AVIATION
Asked by: Shri Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CIVIL AVIATION

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. : 187

( TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  12th February 2026 )

## EMERGENCE OF INDIA AS GLOBAL AVIATION HUB

187.    SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH Will the Minister of CIVIL AVIATION

be pleased to state:-

- (a)  whether the  Government has assessed current capacity and preparedness of the country to emerge as a global aviation hub in view of the significant fleet expansion undertaken  by  Indian  carriers  and  the  growing  volume  of  international  air  traffic transiting over Indian airspace and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  steps  taken  to  strengthen  airport  infrastructure,  including development  of  hub  airports,  regional  connectivity  under  the  UDAN  scheme  and enhancement of multimodal connectivity at major airports during the last three years;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any measures to promote domestic Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities and reduce dependence on overseas facilities and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)  the  initiatives  undertaken  by  the  Government  to  address  skill  development, workforce training and capacity building in the civil aviation sector to support longterm growth?

## ANSWER

Minister of CIVIL AVIATION                             (Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu) (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (D) IN RESPECT OF LOK  SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  187  FOR  ANSWER  ON  12.02.2026 REGARDING  "EMERGENCE  OF  INDIA  AS  GLOBAL  AVIATION  HUB"  BY SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH

(a): As per the National Civil Aviation Policy, 2016, India has the potential to be among the global top three nations in terms of domestic and international passenger traffic. For the development of aviation hubs, this Ministry has formulated an International Aviation Hub Strategy in consultation with stakeholders.

(b):  The  modernisation  and  expansion  of  airport  infrastructure  is  being  carried  out through upgradation of existing airports and development of greenfield airports. To improve the airport infrastructure in the country, Airports Authority of India and PPP Partners have incurred CAPEX of more than Rs. 96000 crore during FY 2019-20 to FY 2024-25. Further, RCS-UDAN is a market driven scheme in which the unserved and  underserved  airstrips/airports  are  listed  for  bidding  by  airlines  to  provide connectivity.  As  on  20.01.2026,  a  total  of  657  routes  have  been  operationalised, connecting 93 unserved and underserved airports, including 15 heliports and 2 water aerodromes.  The  Government  provides  for  integrated  planning  for  multimodal connectivity at major airports as a transformative approach for last mile connectivity under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS NMP).

(c): The Government has introduced measures to boost India's aircraft MRO sector, including  new  guidelines  abolishing  royalties,  transparent  land  allotments,  reduced IGST and GST rates with full input tax credits, extended timelines for export and reimport of goods for repairs, etc. The Visa Manual has also been amended to incorporate suitable provisions for granting Business Visa and Temporary Landing Permit (TLP) to foreign pilots and crew of scheduled or non-scheduled flights coming for the purpose of MRO services in India.

(d):  The Government of India has taken various initiatives towards building aviation skill  development  ecosystem  in  the  country  such  as  issuance  of  liberalised  Flying Training Organisation (FTO) Policy, revision of Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) to expedite FTO approvals, enhancing training quality, standardising benchmarks and optimising capacity. DGCA has issued CAR-147(Basic) to streamline the syllabus and skilled training requirements for the development of competent/ skilled manpower for the maintenance of aircraft.

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