“We want to manufacture aircraft, not just fly them,” says Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu

“India does not want to merely fly aircraft; we are determined to design them, manufacture them, maintain them and finance them,” Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu said on day two of Wings India 2026 at Begumpet Airport on January 29, 2026, even as he acknowledged that aircraft manufacturing has long remained a bottleneck for the country.

Addressing the gathering, the minister said no aircraft can soar in isolation. “It needs the right pressure, the right environment and steady lift to stay airborne. In the same way, we have to provide that lift to aviation industry,” he said, adding that India does not want to just fly far, but to fly together as an ecosystem.

Naidu began his remarks by expressing condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the recent Baramati air crash. He then pointed to India’s demographic advantage, noting that with a median age of 29 years and nearly 500 million middle-class citizens, the country represents one of the world’s largest aviation markets. He described Wings India 2026 as the biggest and most comprehensive edition so far, reflecting the scale of opportunity and global interest.

While acknowledging that manufacturing has historically been a weak link, Naidu said India has made “tremendous progress” in indigenous aircraft manufacturing in recent years. “The world is now looking at India not just for demand, but as a base where aircraft can be manufactured for the world,” he said.

Regional connectivity, he added, remains central to this transformation. Since 2016, 92 airports have been developed and made operational under the UDAN scheme, while 55 unserved and underutilised airstrips have been revived for regional operations. Around 1.5 crore passengers have benefited from UDAN so far, prompting the government to announce a modified scheme aimed at connecting 120 destinations and enabling four crore passengers over the next three years.

With three new airlines set to begin operations, India will need close to 30,000 pilots in the coming years. To improve training standards, the government, for the first time, has introduced a performance-based ranking framework for flying training organisations, said Mr. Naidu.

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka speaking at Wings India 2026 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR

Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said India is steadily transitioning from being only a buyer of aircraft to becoming a designer, manufacturer, maintainer and innovator. “We are moving from ‘made for local’ to ‘made for the world’, and Telangana is proud to be part of this journey,” he said.

Highlighting Hyderabad’s aerospace ecosystem, he cited strengths in aircraft design, manufacturing, maintenance and training, particularly in engine repair facilities. “Investors may come for incentives, but they stay for productivity,” he said, adding that the state is expanding runways, airports and terminals while also exploring new avenues including drones and air ambulance services.

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu along with Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka,  TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and Airbus India & South Asia President and MD Jürgen Westermeyer at Wings India 2026 at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Thursday.
| Photo Credit:
SIDDHANT THAKUR