Govt would soon ratify the Cape Town Convention to enhance aircraft leasing and acquisition in India: Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India
The government would soon ratify the Cape Town Convention to enhance aircraft leasing and acquisition in India, said Mr Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation at the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) International Conference on Air Mobility today. Themed “Aerial Evolution: Shaping Tomorrow’s Urban Air Mobility,” the conference highlighting future trends in air travel has been organised on the sidelines of Bharat Mobility 2025. He noted that the number of air passengers has increased tenfold over the past decade, from 16 crore to 38 crore in 2024. Although the per capita air trips per annum remain as low as 0.13, the growing aspirations for air travel across India suggest that the number of air passengers could reach 380 crores by 2047, coinciding with India’s goal of achieving “Viksit Bharat” status.
Mr Vualnam elaborated on the Regional Connectivity Scheme (#UDAN), launched in 2016, which has facilitated the creation of 619 routes connecting 88 small and underserved airports. This initiative has linked remote regions, serving 1.48 crore passengers to date. He also mentioned that the Aircraft Act of 1934 was amended last year, effective January 1, 2025, to address the modern needs of the aviation sector.
The revised legislation, now titled “Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam,” focuses on redefining regulatory frameworks and encouraging state-of-the-art design, manufacturing, and maintenance.
On the topic of drones and advanced air mobility, Mr. Vualnam stated that India has consistently championed drone technology from its early stages. As of now, over 22,000 drones are registered, the majority of which are domestically manufactured by startups and MSMEs, thereby creating significant business and employment opportunities.
He highlighted the success of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones, for which ? 120 crore were initially allocated. Over three years, the 23 shortlisted companies under the scheme achieved a combined turnover of ?1,300 crore, making it one of the most successful initiatives in the sector. Under the “Namo Drone Didi” scheme, developed to support agricultural services, the government acquired 15,000 drones for distribution to women self-help groups in rural areas.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up six working groups tasked with drafting guidelines for vertiports, pilot licensing, airport management, and other aspects of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Mr Faiz Ahmed, Director General, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said that the regulator is moving towards a trust-based regulatory system as is evident from the drone ecosystem. Mr Ahmed added that DGCA is working with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other international regulatory agencies to integrate the latest technologies (in advanced air mobility ecosystem of the country). As a safety regulator, it is DGCA’s mandate to see innovation does not come at the cost of safety, said Mr Ahmed. He added that the six working groups established for the advanced air mobility ecosystem are working with ICAO and other international regulators are focusing on vertiports, EVTOL aircraft certification, crew licensing, MRO maintenance, among others. The regulator will work towards ensuring that the Advanced Air Mobility ecosystem’s future is safe, sustainable, transformative and DGCA is committed to develop future proof and evolving nature of advanced air mobility.
The International Conference on Air Mobility was organized by CII, supported by the Ministry of Civil Aviation; and was part of the Urban Air Mobility Show, which is a part of the larger Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 at IEML, Greater Noida.
In his welcome address, Mr. Amit Dutta, Chairman of the CII Task Force on Short Haul Air Mobility and Managing Director of Hunch Mobility, emphasized that Advanced Air Mobility must integrate the “7 Cs” framework outlined by the Hon’ble Prime Minister to become a vital component of the mobility ecosystem. Hon’ PM had earlier said his vision for the future of mobility in India is based on 7 Cs: Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean, Cutting-edge.
Mr. Salil Gupte, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Aerospace Manufacturing, President of Boeing India, and Vice President of Boeing International, recommended adopting a bottom-up approach to developing the ecosystem holistically, adding value to India’s industrialization through the aviation sector.
Mr. Aditya Ghosh, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Civil Aviation, Co-Founder of Akasa Airlines, and Founder & Designated Partner at Homage Ventures, stressed the importance of developing soft infrastructure to ensure safety, prepare the sector for future growth, and position India as the world’s largest aviation market. He also pointed out that leveraging AI enables rapid experimentation, especially in scenarios where a “fail-fast” approach is adopted.
21 January 2025
Greater Noida