Bhubaneswar: The Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference will be held in Odisha capital on Monday, bringing together leaders & industry to unlock regional connectivity, innovation and growth.
During the daylong event, Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, State Ministers, senior officials, and industry leaders deliberate on opportunities and challenges in strengthening the civil aviation sector across eastern India.
According to an official release, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu will inaugurate the conference in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol will also join the inaugural session. The programme will open with a welcome address by, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Madhu Sudana Sankar followed by a states’ perspective shared by Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Usha Padhee.
The day-long deliberations will cover critical themes such as airport and heliport development models, the UDAN scheme and regional connectivity, skill development in aviation, expansion of the drone ecosystem, and the future of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Dedicated one-on-one sessions with the six participating states will highlight region-specific aviation priorities and policy support, while parallel industry interactions will explore avenues for investment, public-private partnerships, and collaboration in the aviation ecosystem, it further stated.
Delegations from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with Odisha, will participate in the discussions.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) will also attend, making this conference a comprehensive platform for dialogue and decision-making.
The plenary session will feature opening remarks by Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Samir Kumar Sinha followed by special addresses from Minister from Chhattisgarh Om Prakash Choudhary, and Odisha’s Commerce & Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena.
The conference will conclude with a closing keynote by the Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who will present the Centre’s vision for expanding regional connectivity, modernising aviation infrastructure, and fostering innovation in drones and emergency air services across eastern India.
“By hosting this landmark conference, Odisha reaffirms its role as an emerging aviation hub of Eastern India and as a vital partner in driving the nation’s civil aviation growth story,” the release added.