Bhubaneswar, 24 August (H.S.): The Eastern Region Civil Aviation Ministers’ Conference will be held tomorrow, August 25, 2025, at MAYFAIR Convention, Bhubaneswar. This high-profile event will bring together Union Ministers, Chief Ministers, State Ministers, senior officials, and industry leaders to deliberate on opportunities and challenges in strengthening the civil aviation sector across Eastern India.

The conference will be graced by the Chief Minister of Odisha as Chief Guest and inaugurated in the presence of Shri Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who will deliver the keynote address. Shri Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, will also join the inaugural session. The programme will open with a welcome address by Shri Madhu Sudana Sankar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, followed by a states’ perspective shared by Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, Government of Odisha.

The day-long deliberations will cover critical themes such as airport and heliport development models, the UDAN scheme and regional connectivity, skill development in aviation, expansion of the drone ecosystem, and the future of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Dedicated one-on-one sessions with the six participating states will highlight region-specific aviation priorities and policy support, while parallel industry interactions will explore avenues for investment, public-private partnerships, and collaboration in the aviation ecosystem.

Delegations from aviation from Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with Odisha, will participate in the discussions. Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), and Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) will also be in attendance, making this conference a comprehensive platform for dialogue and decision-making.

The plenary session will feature opening remarks by Shri Samir Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, followed by special addresses from Shri Om Prakash Choudhary, Minister from Chhattisgarh, and Shri Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, Minister, Commerce & Transport, Government of Odisha. The conference will conclude with a closing keynote by Shri Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, who will present the Government of India’s vision for expanding regional connectivity, modernizing aviation infrastructure, and fostering innovation in drones and emergency air services across Eastern India.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda