Leaving its turbulent past behind, India’s civil aviation industry is standing at the threshold of transformation today. Airliness which had been bleeding for the past few consecutive quarters turned profitable this year aided by a healthy growth in passenger traffic and softening of crude oil prices. Driven by a booming economy and rising disposable income, India is poised to become the third largest aviation market by 2030.

The industry has witnessed large-scale expansion of low-cost carriers (LCC), foreign direct investments in domestic airlines and privatisation of airports over the last few years. Going forward, the government aims to create a liberal and investor-friendly environment for the growth of civil aviation in the country. The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently released the draft National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) with the aim to promote the entire aviation sector chain:

• cargo,
• MRO (maintenance, repair and overaul),
• general aviation, aerospace manufacturing and skill development;
• enhance ease of doing business through deregulation, simplified procedures and
• e-governance;
• enhance regional connectivity and take flying to the masses.

In view of the significance of the sector and the need for highlighting the investment opportunities, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) jointly launched the Indian Aviation conference in 2008. The fifth edition of the conference will be held on March 17, 2016, in Hyderabad. The conference is being organised alongside India’s largest and only one of its kind events on civil aviation, ‘India Aviation 2016’, comprising of static and flying display of aircraft. The theme of this year’s event is ‘India’s Civil Aviation Sector: Potential as Global Manufacturing & MRO Hub.’ The conference will focus on the opportunities for investment in the Indian civil aviation sector and will highlight India’s potential for becoming a potential manufacturing and MRO hub triggered by India’s fast-growing passenger traffic, aircraft demand and the government’s thrust on promoting manufacturing.

The conference is being organised alongside India’s largest and only one of its kind events on civil aviation, ‘India Aviation 2016’, comprising of static and flying display of aircraft. The theme of this year’s event is ‘India’s Civil Aviation Sector: Potential as Global Manufacturing & MRO Hub.’

The objective of the high-level conferences is to bring together government leaders, airline chiefs, airport operators and regulators, air navigation service providers, MRO players and manufacturers for active discourse to address a wide range of pertinent challenges facing the aviation industry. The conference also aims to help the stakeholders to gain practical insights and discuss the challenges during interactive sessions, panel discussions and roundtable debates among policymakers, key government officials and industry experts.

The speakers at the previous editions of the conference include:

• former Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh
• former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel
• former Civil Aviation Secretary Ashok Lavasa
• former Civil Aviation Secretary Dr Nasim Zaidi
• Tony Tyler, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, International Air Transport Association (IATA);
• Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia Berhard;
• Pratyush Kumar, President, Boeing India;
• Sidharath Kapur, President & Chief Financial Officer (Airports), GMR Group
• and others....

Key Highlights

• Largest event on civil aviation in India
• Jointly organised by the Indian Government (Ministry of Civil Aviation) and industry body (FICCI)
• Ministerial and business delegations from the US, UK, France and other countries
• Practical insights from the Indian Government officials/policy makers, business leaders and market experts
• Parallel events like CEO Forum, B2B meetings and networking reception.