India Forges Global Aviation Ties at Wings 2026, Eyes Manufacturing Hub Status

In a post on X, Kinjarapu said, "On the sidelines of Wings India 2026, I held bilateral meetings with ministerial delegations from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the Dominican Republic. The participation of 20 countries in India's flagship civil aviation event reflects strong global confidence in India's aviation leadership under the inspiring guidance of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji."

He added that India is transitioning from being a large aviation market to a globally integrated aviation ecosystem, attracting partnerships and long-term collaborations.

"India is rapidly evolving from being a large aviation market to becoming an integrated and influential aviation ecosystem, attracting global partnerships and long-term collaboration," he added.

During the bilateral discussions, the minister said he emphasised manufacturing, skills development and training, and sustainability as key areas for deeper international cooperation.

These engagements took place as Kinjarapu inaugurated 'Wings India 2026' at Begumpet Airport on Wednesday, marking the start of one of Asia's largest aviation summits.

The biennial event began 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.

At the venue, the minister also inaugurated the aircraft display, which includes a Boeing 787-9 aircraft specially fitted for Air India.

He described it as the first delivery of this aircraft type, noting that aircraft delivery is 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.

In a related development, Naidu had earlier on Tuesday 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.

The minister met with 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 the Indian industry, particularly MSMEs.

Sharing details of the interaction on social media, 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