By A Correspondent

Hyderabad (Telangana): India has emerged as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market and is racing towards a future with over 400 airports by 2047, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on January 28, 2026.

Modi was inaugurating Wings India 2026 in Hyderabad, pitching the country as a global hub for aircraft manufacturing, green aviation fuel and next-generation air mobility.

Addressing global aviation leaders, investors and policymakers through a recorded message, Modi highlighted that Indian airlines have already placed orders for more than 1,500 aircraft, underlining the scale and speed of growth in the sector.

He said India’s aviation story is no longer about elite travel but about mass connectivity, investment opportunities and strategic self-reliance.

“Air travel in India is no longer exclusive, but inclusive,” the Prime Minister said, calling the last decade a period of “historic transformation” for civil aviation.

From just 70 airports in 2014, India now has over 160 operational airports and aerodromes, more than doubling its aviation infrastructure in ten years.

At the top of the government’s aviation agenda is regional connectivity. Modi said the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme has already enabled around 15 million passengers to fly on routes that did not exist earlier, connecting Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to the national air network.

He announced that the government is now working on the next phase of UDAN, which will further deepen affordable air connectivity and expand seaplane operations to reach remote and underserved regions.

The Prime Minister projected that India’s air traffic and infrastructure needs will expand dramatically as the country moves towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.

“It is estimated that by 2047, India will have more than 400 airports,” he said, describing it as one of the world’s largest aviation networks.

Beyond infrastructure, Modi made a strong pitch for self-reliance in aviation manufacturing and services, urging global companies to see India not just as a market but as a production base.

He highlighted government focus on aircraft design, manufacturing and the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) ecosystem, noting that India is already a major supplier of aircraft components and has begun manufacturing military and transport aircraft domestically.

Significantly, Modi said India is also moving towards civil aircraft manufacturing, backed by advantages such as its strategic location on global air corridors, a vast domestic feeder network and expanding long-haul fleets.

These factors, he argued, position India to become a critical node in global aviation supply chains.

Looking ahead, the Prime Minister pointed to disruptive technologies that could redefine the sector.

He said the day is not far when electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed and manufactured in India will transform urban and regional mobility by sharply reducing travel time.

He also underlined India’s push on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), predicting that the country will soon emerge as a major producer and exporter of green aviation fuel.

Modi also linked aviation growth with tourism and logistics. With tourist destinations being developed across India, he said demand for air travel is set for “unprecedented expansion,” opening up fresh investment avenues.

On air cargo, he stressed regulatory reforms, digital cargo platforms, off-airport processing and modern warehousing to cut logistics costs and delivery times, a move aimed at positioning India as a competitive transshipment hub.

Calling India a natural aviation gateway between the Global South and the rest of the world, Modi said few countries offer such scale, political stability and technological ambition.

He urged investors to explore opportunities across warehousing, freight forwarding, express logistics and e-commerce, and invited global players to become “co-pilots” in India’s aviation journey.

Held in Hyderabad, Wings India 2026 comes at a time when India’s civil aviation sector is among the fastest-growing globally, driven by rising incomes, regional connectivity and aggressive fleet expansion by domestic carriers.

Modi’s message at the event was clear: India is no longer just flying higher; it wants to lead the global aviation future.

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