Synergizing Aspirations: Producing Indian’s Own Civil Passenger Aircraft

With effect from January 01, 2025, the new act; ‘Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam-2024” comes into force. It replaces the 90 years old British era ‘Aircraft Act 1934’. Earlier, in August, 2024, the Minister for Civil Aviation Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu had presented the bill in Lok Sabha and thereafter in the Rajya Sabha during the winter session. The passing of the bill by voice vote in the parliament signifies its acceptance across the political spectrum. Indeed, a historic achievement for the Indian Aviation Sector, as for the first time the words design and maintenance have been introduced in the legislature. It is believed that the new act would promote indigenisation and encourage innovation in civil aviation sector, which till date was dominated by foreign entities. However, will these initiatives of the Ministry provide the required tailwind to design, develop and produce our own Civil Commercial aircraft? This article details the design requirements for the aircraft that the nation desires to produce under Regional Transport Aircraft scheme. It also examines the national vision on how to produce this aircraft and dovetail it to meet the emergent need of providing air connectivity under mission RCS-UDAN.