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 recently. Themed “Aerial Evolution: Shaping Tomorrow’s Urban Air Mobility,” the conference highlighting future trends in air travel was organised on the sidelines of Bharat Mobility 2025.
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. 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 start-ups and MSMEs, thereby creating significant business and employment opportunities.
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 and 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.
In his welcome address, Mr Amit Dutta, Chairman of the CII Task Force on Short Haul Air Mobility and Managing Director of Hunch Mobility, emphasised that Advanced Air Mobility must integrate the “7 Cs” framework outlined by the Prime Minister to become a vital component of the mobility ecosystem. The PM had said his vision for the future of mobility in India is based on 7 Cs: Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean, Cutting-edge, as per a release.