HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited investors and manufacturers to tap into India’s expanding civil aviation sector, stating that the country has undergone a major transformation over the past decade and is set for sustained growth in the years ahead.
Addressing the inaugural session of the four-day Wings India 2026 summit virtually, Modi said India is expected to have more than 400 airports by 2047. He noted that Indian airlines have already placed orders for over 1,500 aircraft in recent years, reflecting rising demand for air travel.
Participants from 20 countries attended the summit. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, who was scheduled to inaugurate the event, could not attend as he travelled to Baramati following an air crash earlier in the day.
Modi said the aviation industry has recorded steady growth and was now the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. “In 2014, India had around 70 airports. Today, there are more than 160. In just a decade, the number of airports has more than doubled,” he said, adding that over 100 aerodromes have been activated during this period.
Referring to the UDAN regional air connectivity scheme, the prime minister said about 1.5 crore passengers have travelled on routes that did not exist earlier.