Modi projects India as key player in the future of global aviation, space travel

In a memorable address to the Annual General Meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi positioned India not only as a rising force in global aviation but as a future participant in the commercial space race.

“Today, we stand at a juncture where our travel plans are no longer restricted to the cities on Earth,” Modi told delegates gathered for the aviation summit. “Humans are dreaming of commercialising space flights and interplanetary journeys and opening them for civil aviation.”

While acknowledging that routine space travel remains some years away, the Prime Minister underscored the scale of transformation underway in the aviation sector. Modi said India is ready to embrace this future and outlined three pillars he believes will anchor the country’s ascent in the aerospace age: a vast and aspirational domestic market, a youthful and tech-savvy talent pool and an enabling policy ecosystem.

“Our market is not just a group of consumers,” he said, “but a reflection of an aspirational society.” With rapid urbanisation and an expanding middle class, India has already become one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world.

Modi pointed to India’s demographic advantage as a second asset. He credited Indian youth with driving breakthroughs in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and clean energy and argued that their role would be central in the evolution of future aviation systems, including autonomous aircraft and green fuels.

The third factor, he said, was the Indian government’s approach to regulation and innovation. “We have an open and supportive policy ecosystem,” he said, referring to recent reforms intended to attract investment in airports, drones and satellite technology. These include liberalised FDI norms, production-linked incentives and active public-private partnerships in airport infrastructure.

The speech comes amid a wave of new investment in India’s aviation and space sectors. Domestic carriers have placed record aircraft orders, Indian startups are testing reusable launch vehicles, and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has hinted at commercial crewed missions by the early 2030s.

Industry observers view Modi’s remarks as an indication that India intends not just to expand its footprint in traditional aviation, but also to help shape the next frontier where aerospace, AI, and space commerce converge.

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