In a major boost to India’s civil aviation sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the next phase of UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) and inaugurated the New Terminal Building (NTB) at Jodhpur Airport, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to expanding regional air connectivity and developing world-class aviation infrastructure.
The event was held in the august presence of Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde, Governor of Rajasthan; Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan; Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation; Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism; Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and other dignitaries.
Launched in October 2016, the UDAN Scheme has transformed regional connectivity by operationalising 669 routes and connecting 95 airports, heliports and water aerodromes, benefitting over 1.66 crore passengers. Building on this success, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, approved the Modified UDAN Scheme on 25 March 2026 with an outlay of approximately ₹29,000 crore over the next ten years to accelerate aviation-led development and advance the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The Modified UDAN Scheme focuses on expanding regional aviation infrastructure through the development of 100 aerodromes from existing unserved airstrips with an investment of ₹12,159 crore. It also provides ₹2,577 crore towards Operations and Maintenance support for regional airports, development of 200 modern helipads with an investment of ₹3,661 crore, and continued Viability Gap Funding of ₹10,043 crore to sustain regional airline operations. Further strengthening the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the scheme promotes the induction of indigenous aircraft and helicopters, including HAL Dhruv and Dornier platforms, for operations in underserved and remote regions.
