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India's Ambitious Airport Expansion Plan

Davos [Switzerland], January 20 (ANI): Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu while speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos highlihted that india aims to build nearly 350 airports by 2047. "We have a plan to build 50 airports in the next 5 years and by Viksit Bharat 2047, when we want to see a developed India, we want to have up to 350 airports," Naidu said on Tuesday.

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"We are the third largest domestic aviation market in the world. It was not a natural growth, but rather due to policy-making, a strong infusion of capital into the civil aviation sector, and the whole idea of democratising civil aviation in the country and expanding regional connectivity..." he said.

"Every sector in India has seen a tremendous growth in the last 10-11 years and we are projected to see this kind of growth for the next 25-30 years. From 74 airports in 2014, we have grown to 164 today... We have a plan to build 50 airports in the next 5 years and by 2047, when we want to see a developed India, we want to have upto 350 airports. We have almost 1700 aircraft orders, and no other country has this kind of order... Every year, in civil aviation itself, we are growing at a growth rate of over 10-12%..." he added.

Fostering Global Collaboration at WEF

Speaking on the multiple discussions happening by the state governments with foreign conglomerates, Minister Naidu said, "We want to collaborate. The idea is not only to gain, but also to contribute with meaningful discussions, debates, and have a sustainable, safe, secure, and technology-led future for all."

State-Level Engagements

At the WEF, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Assam government among others, have been actively engaging with global leaders to discuss various opportunities. Officials of the Madhya Pradesh Government met Sri Lankan conglomerate Krishan Balendra, Chairman of John Keells Holdings PLC; Hashiyama Shigeto, representative director and Executive Managing Director of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); Jay Galla, Co-founder, Chairman, and Managing Director of the Amara Raja Group; Herve Couraye, Advisor to TouchLab; and Jasmin Hume, CEO and Founder of Shiru, among others, to explore multiple possibilities. M B Patil, Karnataka's Minister for Commerce & Industries and Infrastructure, has also initiated a series of strategic engagements at the WEF.

About the WEF Annual Meeting

The 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is being held from January 19 to 23, 2026, at Davos-Klosters, which is set to welcome nearly 3,000 participants from over 130 countries, including a record number of world leaders, CEOs, innovators and policymakers, under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue." (ANI)