New Delhi, NFAPost: DGCA Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar said the Indian civil aviation sector is the biggest in the world, which is registering exponential growth, and now issual of pilot is made easier with the support of DGCA and it is gaining momentum.
“India has moved from 70 airports to 160 airports in the country. Thus, India has already changed as the largest aviation market. The business aviation market in the world is registering exponential growth led by India,” said DGCA Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar while speaking at a panel meeting at Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) India 2026.
Moderating a panel discussion as part of the Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) India 2026, Club One Air CEO Sanjay Julika also acknowledged that the pace of change is very unique.
“We have to keep pace with the rising demand. Gone are the days when we discussed on three points that detract the industry from investing in India. They are primarily the Indian aerospace industry and civil aviation are facing challenges in areas like Regulation, Infrastructure and Tax,” said Club One Air CEO Sanjay Julika.
Speaking t the panel discussion, DGCA Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar says India is promoting the Aerospace Industry’s designing and manufacturing in India. We are coming up with lots of proactive regulations for more Indian and global investment can happen. We want more Indian companies’ presence in the sector,” said DGCA Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar.
DGCA Joint Director General Maneesh Kumar also pointed out that there is a dramatic change in the pilot license regulation in the country as the Civil Aviation Ministry took control of it under DGCA.
“Earlier, to get a pilot license, Indians would have to depend on foreign countries and foreign institutes. Now Indians will get a pilot’s license in the country as pilot licence issuance is now under the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” said DGCA Director Maneesh Kumar.
He also pointed out the hurdles and torturous process involved in getting a pilot licence in the country. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) launched the Electronic Personnel Licence (EPL) services for Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) at DGCA Headquarters during the month of January this year.
The EPL ATPL service was inaugurated by the DGCA, marking an important milestone in its digital transformation journey. Speaking at the function, DGCA Director General (CA) Faiz Ahmed Kidwai highlighted that the EPL initiative is a key step towards strengthening India’s civil aviation regulatory ecosystem through secure, modern and future-ready digital systems.
“The DG (CA) congratulated the DGCA teams and technology partners for their efforts in implementing this initiative and acknowledged the cooperation extended by the aviation industry and stakeholders in adopting the new system,” said DGCA Director General (CA) Faiz Ahmed Kidwai.
The Electronic Personnel Licence is a secure digital licence incorporating ICAO-aligned security features to ensure authenticity, prevent tampering, and enable real-time verification. The EPL can be accessed through the eGCA mobile application.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a United Nations agency which helps 193 countries to cooperate together in the space of international air navigation.
The DGCA had initiated the roll-out of EPL in February 2025, starting with Commercial Pilot’s Licence (CPL) and Flight Radio Telephone Operator’s (Restricted) Licence (FRTOL).
With the launch of the EPL services for ATPL, the DGCA further strengthens its commitment towards enhanced efficiency, transparency and improved service delivery for the aviation sector.
