Centre investing Rs 28,840 crore to expand UDAN scheme: Ram Mohan Naidu
New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Civil Aviation chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday discussed the next phase of UDAN to strengthen regional air connectivity, reforms in the Flying Training Organisation ecosystem and the transformation of the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) during a meeting held at Mysuru in Karnataka, according to an official statement.
Addressing the committee, the minister said, “In the last 10 years, we invested around Rs 10,000 crore in airport development and Viability Gap Funding for the airlines. We are now taking this ambition to a new scale with an allocation of Rs 28,840 crore under the next phase of UDAN.”
Naidu said that India’s aviation growth is increasingly moving beyond major destinations and beyond just development of airports. “Driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of UDAN, aviation is increasingly becoming an engine of regional development and inclusive economic growth, benefiting farmers, exporters, businesses and communities. At the same time, India is leading the next wave of aviation innovation through drones and eVTOLs, while advancing reforms in sectors like MRO & Air Cargo,” the minister said.
The Committee was also briefed on reforms in the Flying Training Organisation (FTO) ecosystem to enhance the availability of trained pilots while maintaining high standards of safety and training.
The FTO ecosystem has expanded from 32 FTOs in 2020 to 41 in 2026, while flying bases have increased from 32 to 63. The launch of the FTO ranking framework has enabled transparent accountability, enabling the youth to make informed decisions at the first step of their pilot career.
Highlighting the opportunities in the aviation sector, the Minister said, “Indian airlines have placed aircraft orders on a scale unprecedented anywhere in the world. But aircraft orders are only one part of the story; these aircraft will need a skilled and safety-conscious workforce to fly them. We do not want to import the workforce to operate India’s aviation growth. We want to train that workforce right here in India.”
The Committee also discussed the transformation of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) with a substantial increase in aircraft utilisation, averaging 1,765 flying hours per aircraft annually, higher than the global benchmark of around 1,500 hours. The institution has also achieved a budget surplus for the first time after more than two decades of recurring deficits.
Members of Parliament Gopal Jee Thakur, Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Sayani Ghosh, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, M. Dhanapal, Ramrao Sakharam Wadkute and Mysore MP Yaduveer Chamaraja Wadiyar attended the meeting.
The Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Samir Kumar Sinha; DGCA Director General Vir Vikram Yadav; Airports Authority of India chairman Vipin Kumar; BCAS Director General Rajesh Nirwan and other senior officials were present to brief the MPs.
The minister appreciated the suggestions of the Members and assured that these would be duly considered while taking forward the initiatives for the continued growth and development of the civil aviation sector, the statement added.
–IANS
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