First 'Made in India' civil aircraft to take to skies in two years, says Rammohan Naidu

Union civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu today said fully indigenously manufactured civil aircraft will take to the skies within the next two years.

Addressing 31st CII Partnership Summit in Visakhapatnam today, Naidu said that while the country had 74 airports in 2014, the number has now grown to 166.

"UDAN scheme has brought air travel within the reach of the common man, and as a result the annual number of passengers has reached 25 crore (250 million). Under the second phase of UDAN, which began with a budget of Rs. 30,000 crore, another 100 airports and 200 modern heliports will be built in the country by 2036," Naidu said. 

Naidu said the introduction of modern technology such as "Digi Yatra" for passenger convenience at airports has reduced entry time from 90 seconds to 20 seconds.

Naidu commended Andhra Pradesh for advancing rapidly in the civil aviation sector under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

"It is commendable that Bhogapuram International Airport was completed six months ahead of the stipulated deadline. The state government is working to establish an Aerospace and Defence City near Lepakshi in Anantapur district," he added.

Naidu mentioned that plans are being prepared to launch "Seaplane" services between Prakasam Barrage, Srisailam and Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad.

Naidu urged the industry and young entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity, saying this is the right time to invest in aircraft component manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), drones and air taxis (eVTOL).

In the ongoing Partnership Summit, Andhra Pradesh will finaliseAndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu today announced that that the state will finalise 303 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) involving investments of ₹9.89 lakh crore during the ongoing CII Partnership Summit in Vishakhapatnam.

With the MoUs about to be signed, total investment commitments in the state have reached ₹32.49 lakh crore in two-and-a-half years.