Wings India 2026 summit, Asia’s largest civil aviation event

Current Context: The Wings India 2026 summit, Asia’s largest civil aviation event, was held from 28–31 January 2026 at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad.

It was organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India (AAI), and FICCI, chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating virtually.
The theme was “Indian Aviation: Paving the Future – From Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation, and Safety to Sustainability”.
The aim was to showcase India’s transformation from an aircraft buyer to a global aviation manufacturing and services hub.
The summit recorded 70,000+ visitors and witnessed major deals including Air India’s expansion to 600 aircraft, Airbus conversions, and regional connectivity agreements.
On the manufacturing front, HAL debuted SJ‑100 & H‑228 aircraft, signed a ₹1,800 crore Dhruv NG helicopter contract, while Adani–Embraer and Sakthi–Omnipol announced partnerships for regional aircraft assembly.
IOCL signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Akasa Air to jointly explore the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The partnership supports India’s blending targets of 1% SAF by 2027 and 5% by 2030, aligning with national climate goals.
IOCL plans to produce 30,000 tonnes of SAF annually using waste‑based feedstocks.
Innovation highlights included Odisha’s UAV Test Corridor, AAI–ACI training pact, and Air India–HIET AME cadet program, while PM Modi set a target of 400+ airports by 2047, stressing air travel’s shift from exclusive to inclusive.

Question:

Q.1 What was the official theme of the Wings India 2026 Summit?
a) Connecting India through Regional Aviation
b) Aviation Growth for Atmanirbhar Bharat
c) Indian Aviation: Paving the Future – From Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation, and Safety to Sustainability
d) Sustainable Aviation for Emerging Economies

Answer: c) The theme was “Indian Aviation: Paving the Future – From Design to Deployment, Manufacturing to Maintenance, Inclusivity to Innovation, and Safety to Sustainability”.