I hope we will have a Made-in-India civil aircraft in two years: Civil Aviation Minister Naidu

Highlighting the growth potential of the country’s civil aviation sector, the minister said airlines have more than 1,600 aircraft on order at an estimated value of about $100 billion and more than 100 new airports are expected in the next 10 years. File | Photo credit: PTI

Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday (October 6, 2026) expressed hope that India would have its first indigenous civil aircraft within two years through a joint venture.

There are currently 165 airports and the current domestic airline fleet is around 850.

“Within two years, we will be able to have Made-in-India civil aircraft” through the joint venture, Mr. Naidu said, stressing that the ecosystem is growing.

He did not reveal specific details.

“We know how to create the best policy,” the minister said, also mentioning the need to focus on the quality of materials as well as the qualification of people for top manufacturing activities in the aerospace space.

Currently, aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus procure components and services worth around $4 billion from India, and the amount is expected to reach $10 billion by the end of the decade, the minister said.

India is one of the fastest growing domestic civil aviation markets in the world.

At the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM) symposium in the national capital, Mr Naidu also said the government would look into the possibility of manufacturing jet engines in the country, but it would be a time-consuming process.

He attended a session with Tata Steel MD and CEO TV Narendran.

On sustainability efforts, the minister said that India has the potential to become an exporter of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and that the government will work to create a carbon credit mechanism to help the industry.

Published – 6 October 2026 14:36 IST