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India's rise as a global air travel hub

Business Standard

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August 29, 2025

India has been at the heart of global trade and commerce since time immemorial.

- PIETER ELBERS

India's rise as a global air travel hub

India has been at the heart of global trade and commerce since time immemorial. From the Silk Route to the spice trade, India's ports, cities, and markets connected civilizations and fostered both economic and cultural exchanges across continents. The foundation of this legacy was built on three main principles: India's location, people, and the ability to build and evolve. As India now stands at the cusp of becoming the world's third-largest economy, these same principles are key to reclaim the country's historical prominence. Only this time, it must be a global hub for connectivity, mobility, tourism, and trade.

Today, the nation is well on its way in this journey with a young, talented population, a booming economy, rapid digitalization, and a growing middle class that is generating consistent demand for mobility, commerce, and tourism. But to ensure the longevity of this momentum and translate it into sustainable growth, and to reach the nation's $10 trillion GDP ambition, there is a need to address one of the most important catalysts of economic transformation: world-class infrastructure. This is not just about physical assets but about strengthening the lifeblood of the economy, the movement of goods, people, ideas, and investment. Every airport, port, highway or railway acts as an enabler of creating jobs and multiplying the GDP.

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