By: Mr. Jaideep Mirchandani, Group Chairman of Sky One
The International Labour Organisation, in its ‘Youth: A Demographic Dividend’ report, states that India has the largest youth population in the world. The country has around 66 per cent of the total population (more than 808 million) below the age of 35. Further, nearly 40 per cent of the Indian population is aged between 13 and 35 years. The UN agency also estimates that the Indian labour force is set to grow by over 8 million per annum over the next decade, with most of this growth driven by young people entering the labour market.
Now, this youthful population also presents significant challenges for policymakers in terms of creating meaningful employment opportunities for the increasingly educated cohorts. This is also a point where we must focus on diverting this youthful energy to relatively unexplored fields, setting up space for them to realise their dreams. Some key sectors are termed as tomorrow’s professions, which can offer ample career opportunities. Considering the major growth that India is witnessing, civil aviation is a major one among them.
Why is it also imperative to nurture talent and attract more youth towards aviation careers? As per the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India now ranks as the third-largest aviation market in the world in terms of passenger traffic. According to the Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency (ICRA), in the financial year between April 2024 and March 2025, India’s domestic air passenger traffic reached 165.4 million, a 7.6 per cent year-on-year increase. It states that Indian airlines also handled 33.8 million international passengers, marking a 14.1% year-over-year growth.
Considering this growth, Indian airlines have also placed orders for new aircraft, including both narrow-body and wide-body ones. Recently, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament that Indian airlines placed orders for a total of 1,359 new aircraft in the previous two years. Currently, 680 aircraft operated by Indian carriers are in service for passenger travel, and 133 are grounded across various airlines.
That means fleet expansion plans will be vibrant in the coming decade, and there will be increased demand for pilots and technicians. The demand for aviation talent is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. In its ‘Pilot and Technician Outlook 2024–2043,’ Boeing estimates that the industry will need around 674,000 new pilots, 716,000 maintenance technicians, and 980,000 cabin crew members over the next two decades to keep the global fleet flying. India is not only one of the key areas in APAC that will require a major share from this projected list, but the country is also likely to play a significant role as a contributor to the global aviation talent pool.
It would also be a time when airlines are ramping up their hiring efforts and making strategic adjustments behind the scenes to bridge the demand and supply gap. In this context, India’s focus must be on developing a long-term plan to attract more young people to aviation careers. The strategic steps can include updating the training infrastructure. There should be an adequate number of flight schools, advanced simulators, and financial incentives to encourage more to fulfil their aspirations. Instead of airlines, flying schools, and regulators like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) operating in silos, a triple helix model can be utilised. Under this approach, airlines provide placements and funding, the government offers incentives, and aviation academies drive quality training. This will also result in better sharing of resources, such as runways and simulators, which can bring cost efficiency without compromising quality.
Another area is the need to promote more women to join key positions like pilots. Currently, one in every seven pilots employed by six major airlines in India is a woman,a highly positive development. According to official data, women comprise 15 per cent of India’s pilot workforce, whereas the global average is around five to six per cent. Attracting more women to the profession will not only help achieve gender parity but also bridge the demand-supply gap. For this, a well-structured action plan should be implemented. Initiating early outreach programs and educating young girls about career prospects in aviation can spark their interest in the field.
Opportunities like World Youth Skills Day provide the country with a chance to convert aspirations into action. By scaling modern training infrastructure, strengthening public-private synergies, and aligning training with global standards, India can equip its youth to excel in the aviation sector, safeguarding domestic growth and asserting the country’s leadership in international aviation talent.