Soaring high with AAI : role of a unified S&T platform in empowering aviation

DRIIV’s partnership with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) aims to catalyze an innovation-driven ecosystem within the Indian aviation sector. This collaboration is centered around fostering technological progress by engaging startups, researchers, and innovators in aviation-focused challenges. As a knowledge and innovation partner of AAI, DRIIV is dedicated to supporting CARO (Civil Aviation Research Organization) in establishing a robust innovation ecosystem.

Schemes and policies

India's civil aviation sector has implemented several schemes to enhance connectivity, affordability, and infrastructure development reflecting India's commitment to making air travel more accessible to its citizens. Notable initiatives include :

Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) : Launched in 2016 as a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy, UDAN aims to make air travel affordable and widespread by enhancing connectivity to remote and regional areas. Through this, the Centre plans to operationalize 100 unserved and underserved airports and start at least 1,000 air routes. Under UDAN 4, the operation of helicopters and seaplanes will be incorporated.
Scheme for enhancing Air Connectivity between Indian states and international destinations : It aims to facilitate economic growth by promoting tourism and trade through better air links.
National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 : The NCAP 2016 provides a comprehensive framework for the growth and development of the aviation sector in India. It covers areas such as regional connectivity, safety, air transport operations, and fiscal support. The policy introduced the UDAN scheme.
Scheme for Revival and Development of Airports, Heliports, and Water Aerodromes : This scheme focuses on making airports operational by upgrading existing infrastructure. In its first phase, the scheme targeted the operationalization of various airports to enhance regional connectivity.

Scope of indigenization through this partnership

Indigenization within India's civil aviation schemes, such as UDAN and the National Civil Aviation Policy, offers immense potential to boost the Make in India vision. Key opportunities include developing indigenous aviation technologies, additional navigation systems like GAGAN, drone solutions, green technologies like graphene-based batteries for energy storage, and eco-friendly airport infrastructure. Aviation-specific startups can be leveraged to localize maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services which can in turn reduce import dependency. By leveraging these schemes, DRIIV and AAI can build robust domestic supply chains and establish India as a hub for affordable aviation solutions, and unlock export potential.

Major hurdles

India's civil aviation supply chain faces several obstacles that impede the sector's growth and indigenization efforts.

Import dependency : A significant portion of critical components like aircraft parts, avionics, and advanced materials are imported, leading to high costs and supply vulnerabilities.
Limitation in manufacturing ecosystem: India suffers from lack of a robust domestic aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, with a limited number of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier-1 suppliers in the aviation sector.
Weak integration with MSMEs : Despite having huge potential in manufacturing and innovation, the Indian MSME sector struggles to integrate into the aviation supply chain due to limited technical capabilities, certification roadblocks and absence of streamlined policies.
Infrastructure gaps : Inadequate infrastructure for logistics, warehousing, and transportation creates inefficiencies in the supply chain, especially for remote areas targeted under the UDAN scheme.
Deficit in skilled workforce : A lack of specialized skills in advanced manufacturing, design, and quality control limits the growth of domestic aerospace production.
Lack of capital and R&D : The sector requires substantial investments in technology and infrastructure, which are often unaffordable for small players, discouraging innovation and scaling.
Global competition : Indian manufacturers face stiff competition from established global players who dominate the aviation supply chain, both in cost and quality.

Overcoming the roadblocks

A unified S&T platform like DRIIV can overcome supply chain challenges in India's aviation sector by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and MSMEs to co-create and scale indigenous technologies. It can drive R&D in critical areas like navigation systems, advanced materials, and green aviation solutions while facilitating technology validation and streamlining policy advocacy for faster certifications and incentives. DRIIV’s skilling initiatives can build a future-ready workforce, while its partnership with AAI can enhance infrastructure for logistics and warehousing. Addressing these challenges through targeted policy support, investment in skill development, and fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and government is crucial for building a resilient and efficient supply chain in India's aviation sector.