India needs more freighters, says Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu called for a major expansion of India’s freighter capacity, warning that the current fleet is far below what the market will soon require. He said global leaders like the United States operate over 200 dedicated freighter aircraft, while India has only about 17.

“Given the commercial viability of dedicated freighters, I strongly encourage Indian carriers to explore expansion,” he said. The Minister linked this to India’s rising air cargo ambitions and the growing need for high-volume, high-speed capacity.

He was inaugurating the 11th edition of PHDCCI Global Aviation & Air Cargo Conclave 2025 in New Delhi on Tuesday (November 18, 2025).

He called e-commerce as one of the strongest drivers of future cargo demand. India is seeing rapid digital adoption, a surge of MSMEs selling online and a sharp rise in express deliveries. He said the country’s Internet user base will cross 900 million next year. He also highlighted that India’s e-commerce sector is growing at 45 percent annually and will cross $200 billion by 2025. He used the United States as an example of how e-commerce can shape aviation.

“The US air cargo sector moves nearly 69 million tonnes annually and generates over $140 billion in revenue,” he said. Companies like Amazon and Walmart built dedicated fleets to meet online demand, and the Minister suggested that India is now entering a similar phase.

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The Minister argued that India’s long-term strength goes beyond e-commerce and rests on deeper structural advantages.

“We have a geographical advantage. We have a dynamic market potential and skilled manpower,” he said. He emphasised that these factors give India a competitive edge across global regions and put the country in a strong position to scale air cargo rapidly.

He said cargo volumes in India are already growing at an exceptional speed.

“Our cargo volumes are growing at a staggering 47 percent over the last decade,” he said. India now ranks sixth globally in total air cargo, third in domestic freight and twelfth in international freight. He added that the country’s cargo-handling capacity has reached 8 million metric tonnes and is growing at more than 10 percent every year.

The government has set ambitious goals for air cargo capacity. The Minister said throughput will reach 10 million metric tonnes by 2030 and 21 million tonnes by 2047, when India aims to become a fully developed economy. He attributed this confidence to reforms such as PM Gati Shakti, the National Logistics Policy and GST, which have created the foundation for modern multimodal logistics.

Despite this progress, he noted that India’s current share in global freight is only 2.9 percent. He said this highlights a large untapped opportunity. With its central location connecting East and West, India can become a global air cargo powerhouse if it moves quickly on infrastructure and process improvements.

He said the country is already seeing examples of how improved cargo systems can support local economies. Frozen fish from Agartala and silk products from Dibrugarh, Assam, are now reaching global markets. He linked this to a broader plan called One Airport, One Product, inspired by the Prime Minister’s One District, One Product vision.

“Over the last five years, fruit exports from India have grown by over 47 percent, signalling faith in Indian taste and quality,” he said. Demand for vegetables, dairy, spices and ready-to-cook Indian foods is also rising sharply.

The Minister stressed that perishables require efficient, time-sensitive, temperature-controlled supply chains. Every minute matters in the movement of farm products to global markets. With world-class airport infrastructure now available, India can build export corridors that will transform the agri-economy and empower farmers.

He said India is entering a phase where airports can become major cargo hubs for production and exports. He urged industry stakeholders to match this momentum with speed, scale and innovation as the country builds a future-ready air cargo ecosystem.

"Invest in India, innovate for India and integrate with India," he said.