Gujarat kicks off India Aircraft Leasing & Financing Summit 2.0

Gujarat Chief Minster Bhupendra Patel on Friday inaugurated the India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit 2.0 at GIFT City, highlighting the growing role of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in strengthening India’s aircraft leasing ecosystem and positioning the country as a global aviation financing hub.The summit, jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IFSCA and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, brought together aviation industry leaders, policymakers, investors and stakeholders from India and abroad in the presence of Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu.
During the event, multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed among Air India, IndiGo, Star Air, Bank of India, Akasa Air and IFSCA to boost partnerships and investments in the civil aviation sector. A knowledge report prepared by FICCI was also unveiled at the summit.
Addressing the gathering, Patel said GIFT City, developed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has emerged as the country’s fintech hub and is now expanding its role in aircraft leasing and financing through globally aligned regulatory practices.He said a unified regulatory framework has been established through IFSCA to ensure ease of doing business for the aircraft leasing industry. Patel also highlighted tax holidays and incentives announced in the Union Budget to enhance the global competitiveness of GIFT City IFSC.
Expressing confidence in Gujarat’s growing aviation ecosystem, the chief minister said more than 370 assets have so far been leased through entities operating under IFSCA in GIFT City. He urged industry leaders to collaborate with IFSCA to accelerate the vision of building a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Gandhinagar, Gujarat: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel says, "The 2.0 edition of the India Aircraft Leasing and Financing Summit, held at GIFT City and envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reflects India’s growing confidence and the emergence of GIFT City as a global FinTech… pic.twitter.com/vtSn3TpjIM

— IANS (@ians_india) May 8, 2026

Describing GIFT City as the “brainchild” of Prime Minister Modi and India’s gateway to global financial markets, Rammohan Naidu said the financial hub has emerged as one of Asia’s most dynamic centres with support from the Gujarat government.Comparing GIFT City with global aviation financing hubs such as Dublin, Singapore and Dubai, the minister said India’s aviation sector offers aircraft leasing opportunities worth nearly 50 billion dollars over the next decade. He added that India is progressing from being merely a “consumer” of global finance to becoming an “architect” of it.Naidu said India is expected to become the world’s third-largest civil aviation market by 2035, with an estimated fleet of around 2,250 aircraft. He also stressed the need to focus on leasing smaller aircraft, helicopters and seaplanes to strengthen regional connectivity.The minister announced that seaplane operations will soon commence in Lakshadweep and said the government is working on progressive policy initiatives such as fractional ownership and granting aircraft the status of infrastructure assets.

Gandhinagar, Gujarat: Union Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu on the India Aircraft Leasing & Financing Summit 2.0 says, “We are organizing this summit in GIFT City, which has become a major hub under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is now the third-largest… pic.twitter.com/aXQ2zAi0XF

— IANS (@ians_india) May 8, 2026

Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the summit would prove to be a decisive step towards making India self-reliant in aviation financing. He noted that over 80 per cent of aircraft operated by Indian airlines are currently leased from foreign jurisdictions such as Dublin, Singapore and Dubai.IFSCA Chairman K Rajaraman said India has emerged as the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He added that while there was not a single leasing unit in GIFT City in 2020, more than 40 aircraft lessors are now operating there, with leasing transactions involving over 200 aircraft and 84 engines completed so far.Jurgen Westermeler, who is also Chairman of the FICCI Civil Aviation Committee, delivered the keynote address, while Senior Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Civil Aviation Amit Ray presented the welcome address.Senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, aviation experts, investors and industry leaders from India and overseas attended the summit.

(State Correspondent)