TDP Gets Aviation Ministry; Ram Mohan Naidu is the Next Civil Aviation Minister

Earlier this week, Times of Aviation reported that there are higher chances of NDA ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) receiving the civil aviation ministry portfolio. Now, the list of Union ministers with their portfolios has been announced. India is expected to get a new Civil Aviation Minister in the form of Ram Mohan Naidu. The 36-year-old Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh will succeed Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has now been allotted the Telecom ministry.

Who is Ram Mohan Naidu?

Ram Mohan Naidu is one of the youngest Members of Parliament in the NDA government. He belongs to an Andhra Pradesh-based political party named Telugu Desam Party (TDP). In this election, TDP has been an important ally of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP). He has been elected from the Srikakulam Lok Sabha constituency.

#TOAFact: From 2014 to 2018, India had a Civil Aviation Minister from the same party- TDP.

After his father passed away because of a road accident in 2012, Ram Mohan Naidu entered into active politics. At the age of 26, he won his maiden election. He has already served as a member of various standing committees on the Ministry of Tourism, Home Affairs, Railways, and Welfare of other backward classes. He has served as a national general secretary for his political party.

This was the political background of Ram Mohan Naidu. This appointment comes as good news for Andhra Pradesh. TDP has revived the Amravati Capital City project after winning the elections. Besides the Vizag civil enclave, a new greenfield airport is under construction at Bhogapuram. Various airports like Vijayawada and Tirupati have been striving for better international connectivity and cargo facilities. It will be interesting to see whether their fate changes under the new Civil Aviation Minister.

The wishes of airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways may be fulfilled as TDP has a historic stance in favor of enhancing bilateral rights. These airlines have been requesting the Indian government for years to increase bilateral flying rights.

Scindia Bids Goodbye to Civil Aviation

In July 2021, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia was appointed the Civil Aviation Minister of India, succeeding Hardeep Singh Puri. Now, his tenure in this position has come to an end. He has been allotted the Telecom ministry.

Under his leadership, the Civil Aviation landscape in India underwent major changes. The biggest highlight was the privatization and seamless transition of Air India to TATA Group. He had a major role in convincing various states to reduce their Value Added Tax (VAT) on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) so that the operational costs of airlines could come down.

Similar to Puri, Scindia too had a hard stance against granting any more bilateral rights to foreign carriers. With a new civil aviation minister in the fray, it will be interesting to see whether this position continues or not.

Naidu is joining civil aviation when it is undergoing a rapid turnaround. Airlines like Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air have a huge number of aircraft on order. The first two have placed widebody orders to enhance long-haul international reach. New airports are under construction and older ones are under renovation process. The stint of Mr Naidu is going to be interesting.

Conclusion: Ram Mohan Naidu, the Next Aviation Minister

India has a new Civil Aviation Minister in the form of Ram Mohan Naidu. At the age of just 36, the new minister is one of the youngest members of the parliament. He has succeeded Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has been allotted the Telecom ministry. It will be interesting to see whether India continues to restrict bilateral rights for foreign players.

From the author and readers of Times of Aviation, I congratulate Mr Naidu for being appointed as the next civil aviation minister. Wishing him the best of luck!

What do you think about the new Civil Aviation Minister of India? Discuss in the comment section.