India's Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu calls for increased freighters and cargo-centric airports to enhance air cargo capacity, which is vital for job creation.

Union Minister K Rammohan Naidu has highlighted the rapid growth of India's civil aviation sector and the need for more dedicated freighters and cargo-centric airports. Currently, India has only 17 registered freighters compared to over 200 in the US. Naidu pointed out that increasing air cargo movements could create thousands of jobs and significantly contribute to the economy. He projected that air cargo throughput could reach 10 million metric tonnes by 2030 and 21 million metric tonnes by 2047. The minister also mentioned efforts to reduce cargo processing time from 8 hours to 6 hours, enhancing efficiency for time-sensitive shipments. His remarks were made at the Global Aviation & Air Cargo Conclave 2025, organized by PHDCCI.