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Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Wednesday inaugurated 'Wings India 2026' at Begumpet Airport, marking the start of one of Asia's largest aviation summits.
The biennial event begins today and will continue till January 31, bringing together key stakeholders from across the global aviation ecosystem. Speaking at the inauguration, Naidu described Wings India as the most important aviation summit hosted by the country every two years. "It is one of the biggest summits in Asia. We are proud to host this event on behalf of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, and we also thank the Telangana government for its support," he said. Highlighting the focus of this edition, the minister said 'Wings India 2026' would showcase India's growing strength in civil aviation manufacturing and rising domestic demand. He noted that the government's priority over the next decade is to strengthen the country's manufacturing ecosystem to meet future requirements. "We are confident that India can also emerge as a global exporter in civil aviation in the next 10-12 years," Naidu said. The minister also inaugurated the aircraft display at the venue, which includes a Boeing 787-9 aircraft specially fitted for Air India. He described it as the first delivery of this aircraft type, calling aircraft delivery one of the major bottlenecks in the aviation sector. Expressing optimism, Naidu said the arrival of new aircraft would provide a significant boost to Indian aviation. "I feel this year will be great for aviation," he added, underlining strong growth prospects for the sector. On Tuesday, Naidu held a meeting with senior executives of Airbus to discuss ways to deepen the integration of Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into global aviation supply chains, reflecting the growing role of India in the global aerospace ecosystem. The minister met Wouter van Wersch, Executive Vice President International at Airbus, and Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia. The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between Airbus and Indian industry, particularly MSMEs, as India continues to emerge as a key manufacturing and innovation hub for the global aviation sector. Sharing details of the interaction through a social media post, the Civil Aviation Minister said that India has today emerged as a convergence hub for the interests, innovation and investment of global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). (ANI)
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