New Delhi/Hyderabad, Jan 28 (IANS) Asserting that India is becoming a major global aviation hub, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged investors from around the world to “join us as co-pilots on India’s flight to success”.

The Prime Minister declared that the government is working on the next phase of the UDAN scheme to further strengthen regional and affordable air connectivity.

In his video message at the inaugural of Wings India 2026, the civil aviation summit that began at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad, the Prime Minister said that in the coming times, there will be an unprecedented expansion in the demand for air travel, which means more opportunities for investment.

He stated that aircraft manufacturing, pilot training, advanced air mobility, and aircraft leasing are the sectors where India presents itself with immense possibilities.

The Prime Minister emphasised the need for self-reliance. “Today, as India is becoming a major global aviation hub, it is also important that we do not remain dependent on others for aviation-related needs. We must strengthen the path of self-reliance. This will also be helpful for companies that are coming to invest in India,” he said.

PM Modi revealed that India is placing great emphasis on aircraft design, aircraft manufacturing and the aircraft MRO ecosystem. “Even today, India is a major manufacturer and supplier of aircraft parts. We are starting to manufacture military and transport aircraft in the country,” he said.

Urging “every country, every industry leader and every innovator” to take full advantage of this golden opportunity, he called on them to become a long-term partner in “our development journey and contribute to the growth of the world’s aviation sector”.

He claimed that in the last decade, a historic transformation has taken place in India’s entire aviation sector. “There was a time when air travel in India was limited to an exclusive club, but today the situation has completely changed. Today, India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. Our passenger traffic has grown very rapidly, and the fleet of Indian airlines is also expanding rapidly. In the past few years, Indian airlines have placed orders for more than 1500 aeroplanes.”

PM Modi said the government was working with the mission to ensure that every Indian citizen can easily travel by air, and that is why Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities have been connected with airports.

He noted that in 2014, there were 70 airports in India, but today the number of airports in India has increased to more than 160. “We have activated more than 100 aerodromes in the country and, along with this, we have launched the UDAN scheme for affordable air travel for our citizens. Thanks to the UDAN scheme, 15 million passengers, or approximately 1.5 crore passengers, have travelled on routes that didn’t even exist before.”

He asserted that as India moves forward with the goal of becoming a developed nation, its air activity is bound to expand manifold. It is estimated that by 2047, India will have more than 400 airports.

“Not only that, but our government is also working on the next phase of the UDAN Scheme. This policy will further strengthen regional and affordable air connectivity, and along with all this, seaplane operations are also being expanded. Our endeavour is to improve air connectivity in every corner of India.”

The PM mentioned that the government is also focusing heavily on the development of the tourism sector. “Tourist places are being developed across the country, and air travel is the first choice for a large number of people to visit these places. In the coming times, there will be an unprecedented expansion in the demand for air travel. This means that more opportunities will be created for all of you for investment,” he added.

–IANS

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