Made-in-India planes not a distant dream: PM Modi

The PM added that the new airport is going to open doors of development for Shivamogga, the land of nature, culture and agriculture.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

SHIVAMOGGA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the day is not far when Indian citizens will fly in only Made-in-India passenger aircraft. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the newly-built Shivamogga Airport at Sogane near here, Modi said the demand for more aircraft is increasing by the day and even though the country is importing aeroplanes now, it will soon become self-reliant in manufacturing its own fleet. 

The PM spoke in Kannada for a while and raised the slogan, Sirigannadam Gelge, Sirigannadam Balge (Kannada shall triumph and Kannada shall flourish). He also recited the state anthem Jaya Bharata Jananiya Tanujate, Jayahe Karnataka Maate, penned by Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, who hails from Shivamogga district and after whom the state government has proposed to name the new airport.

The PM added that the new airport is going to open doors of development for Shivamogga, the land of nature, culture and agriculture.

Training his guns on the opposition Congress, the PM alleged that the Congress never took any initiative to provide air connectivity to smaller cities. “But, we decided to change this policy. In 2014, there were 74 airports in the country. In just nine years, the BJP government has built 74 more airports,” the PM said. 

Those who wear chappals too should fly: PM Modi

“Smaller cities have modern airports. We decided that even those who wear hawai chappals (slippers) should travel by air. Hence, we launched the UDAN scheme to ensure affordable air travel for poor people,” the PM said.

He added that before 2014, Air India was in the news for all the wrong reasons. “Under Congress rule, Air India was known for scams and its loss-making business model. Now, it is recognised as the potential of new India where it is soaring to new heights of success,” he said. 

Modi also laid foundation stones for multiple development projects being built at a cost of Rs 3,600 crore in Shivamogga on Monday. 

“Shivamogga airport is inaugurated at a time when the demand for air travel is at an all-time high in India. You might have noticed that Air India completed a deal to purchase the largest passenger aircraft in the world,” he said. He added that the expanding aviation market in the country will generate many jobs for the youth.