New Delhi, Sep 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Tuesday launched the Challenge Mode Portal for Aerodrome Development under the next phase of the UDAN scheme, enabling States and Union Territories to nominate airstrips and helipads for development to expand regional air connectivity across the country.
The launch was part of a major push to move the next phase of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) from policy consultations to on-ground implementation. The Ministry of Civil Aviation also signed 21 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with participating States and UTs and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to strengthen coordination for developing aviation infrastructure and expanding connectivity to underserved and unserved regions.
Speaking at the event, Naidu said the Challenge Mode would allow States and UT administrations to proactively identify locations with potential for aviation connectivity and facilitate the development and upgradation of aviation infrastructure according to local requirements.
"With these MoUs, Team Bharat is joining hands to take India's regional aviation to greater heights. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Viksit Rajya is the foundation of Viksit Bharat, with every State as an equal partner in this journey," Naidu said.
Under the Challenge Mode, States and UTs can nominate airstrips and helipads through a dedicated portal for development under the next phase of UDAN. The initiative is aimed at creating a structured mechanism for identifying aviation assets and developing them in line with regional connectivity requirements.
The Minister also released the Scheme Document for the next phase of UDAN Route Bidding. The bidding round will invite airlines to bid for identified UDAN routes, with the objective of enabling transparent and competitive selection of routes and operators.
The route bidding process is expected to facilitate the expansion of air services to unserved and underserved regions while improving accessibility and supporting economic activity, tourism, trade and employment.
Naidu said the next phase of UDAN would focus on four pillars — affordability for passengers, sustainability of operations, a transparent Challenge Mode framework for projects and promotion of indigenous manufacturing.
"Together, we are building an ecosystem towards the larger ambition of Made in India Civil aircraft. That is the direction in which this next phase of UDAN is taking us," he said.
Source: IANS
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