Govt to invest Rs 28,840 cr in UDAN in 10 yrs

The Union Civil Aviation Minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, announced on Friday that the government plans to invest Rs 28,840 crore over the next decade to further expand the UDAN regional connectivity scheme and enhance air connectivity across India. This commitment to the flagship scheme, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, follows significant progress made in the past ten years.

During a Civil Aviation Consultative Committee Meeting in Mysuru, Naidu emphasized the government's efforts to engage with states to improve aviation infrastructure, increase connectivity, and optimize airport operations and management. The Consultative Committee discussed strategies to bolster the UDAN scheme and the civil aviation sector.

The recent flagship meeting in Mysuru also highlighted progress in India's transshipment cargo reform, which aims to reduce cargo transit time and handling costs. A proof of concept on the Chennai-Delhi-Frankfurt route, initiated on June 20, 2026, demonstrated a remarkable reduction from 60 hours to 20 hours in average end-to-end transit time for transshipment cargo.

This initiative, covering additional international destinations like Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Hyderabad, London, and Copenhagen, has already transshipped 280 MT of cargo, with aircraft capacity utilisation soaring from 75% to near 100%. The government's broader goal is to transform Indian airports into global passenger and cargo transit hubs.