Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India’s aviation sector has undergone a historic transformation over the past decade, evolving from an exclusive mode of travel into the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market.
Addressing the Wings India 2026 programme in Hyderabad via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said the rapid growth of the aviation sector is the result of the government’s long-term vision aimed at making air travel accessible to every citizen.
“Earlier, air travel was limited to a few people, but today India has become the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market,” the Prime Minister said, adding that passenger traffic has increased significantly and Indian airlines have placed orders for more than 1,500 aircraft in recent years.
Highlighting infrastructure expansion, the Prime Minister said that the number of airports in the country has increased from 70 in 2014 to over 160 at present, while more than 100 aerodromes have been activated. He said the UDAN scheme has played a key role in strengthening regional connectivity, enabling around 1.5 crore passengers to travel on routes that did not exist earlier.
The Prime Minister said the government is working on the next phase of the UDAN scheme to further expand regional and affordable air connectivity, along with the development of sea-plane operations across the country. He added that by 2047, India is expected to have more than 400 airports, creating a vast air connectivity network.
Referring to the future of the sector, the Prime Minister said that India is moving towards self-reliance in aviation and has already begun producing military and transport aircraft domestically, while progress is also being made in civil aircraft manufacturing.
“India is placing strong emphasis on aircraft design, manufacturing and the MRO ecosystem. The country is already a major manufacturer and supplier of aircraft components,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said that India is emerging as a major global aviation hub due to its strategic geographic location, strong domestic feeder network and expanding long-haul fleets. He added that the country is working on sustainable aviation fuel and could become a major producer and exporter of green aviation fuel in the coming years.
On reforms in the aviation sector, the Prime Minister said that India is emerging as a key aviation gateway between the Global South and the rest of the world, creating new opportunities for investors and manufacturers.
He also highlighted the government’s focus on air cargo, digital cargo platforms, modern warehousing and logistics reforms to make cargo movement faster and more efficient. He said India is set to emerge as a competitive trans-shipment hub.
Calling India a land of scale, policy stability and technological ambition, the Prime Minister urged global investors and industry leaders to partner in India’s aviation growth and contribute to the expansion of the global aviation sector.
