Air sports in the country to have an oversight body

Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia unveils national air sports policy, says the industry could balloon in the country

For the first time in India, air sports such as paragliding or hot-air ballooning will come under a four-tier governance structure with the Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) as the apex body which will oversee aspects such as regulation, certification, accidents and penalties.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister for Civil Aviation on Tuesday unveiled the national air sports policy.

“We need to look at new areas, not just those which have seen maturity and high growth but also those where new seeds can be sown. Air sports is one such area which has the ability to transform into a huge industry. The vast geographical expanse that can allow a wide diversity of air sports in the country with India’s vast youth population makes it an industry ripe for the picking, but it lacked until today an architecture to propel it forward,” the Minister said at a press conference.

He said that the air sports industry in the country was today worth ₹80-100 crore, with nearly 5,000 providers, which could grow 10 times in terms of revenue and yield 1 lakh direct jobs apart from a multiplier impact on the economy.

The policy lays down a four-tier governance structure with the ASFI at the top, followed by national associations for individual sports and their regional and district level units.

The ASFI will be an autonomous body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) which will represent India at global platforms related to air sports such as the World Air Sports Federation (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) and will also conduct competitions across the country through different national air sports associations.