Pitching for increased bilateral flying rights between Dubai and India, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and CCO, Emirates Airline, said, “Indian aviation market’s pace of growth needs to be matched with capacity, and increased competition will provide more choices for consumers. Currently, India is a top-tier market, with more demand than the offered capacity.”

IndiGo will host the 81st IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit in Delhi, India, in June 2025. Pieter Elbers, CEO, IndiGo, said, “IndiGo will be the host airline, and this is an important moment for us to showcase how India has changed and the developments in its aviation sector. We will closely collaborate with the government and policymakers to address all relevant issues and highlight India’s transition from a predominantly domestic market to a global aviation giant.”

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary, Tourism, has said, “We need to think of Viksit Bharat 2047 and plan for the next five years in how to create a stronger tourism sector. Broadly we need to look at having a business plan sort of a strategy—where are we now? Where should we be in 2047? and What is the target that we set for ourselves over the next five years in terms of investment, job creation, promotion & publicity?”

Airbnb in its latest data on India-Thailand travel trends revealed that between 2022 and 2023, bookings in Thailand by Indian guests on Airbnb increased more than 60 per cent year-on-year. This surge in travel interest on Airbnb is driven by India’s changing demographics and a new, more travel-inclined younger generation, with Gen Z and Millennial Indian guests accounting for 80 per cent of bookings in 2023. According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, India is the fifth largest inbound market for Thailand.

BJP leader V. Somanna is now part of the new Union Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has taken the oath as MoS in the Ministry of Railways. Somanna won the Tumkur Lok Sabha segment by a margin of 1,75,594 votes, against Congress’ S P Muddahanumegowda in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The Lingayat leader, who started off as member BBMP in 1983-87, has grown politically steadily and has had his stint in all the three key political parties in the state — Janata Dal (erstwhile), Congress and BJP.

Ravneet Singh Bittu has taken the oath as Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways in Team Modi 3.0. He switched over from the Congress to the BJP just ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election and lost the polls from Punjab’s Ludhiana. BJP believes Bittu is among the popular leaders who are likely to make an impact on the party as it goes it alone in Punjab.

Ashwini Vaishnaw has retained the Railways Ministry and IT Ministry besides getting one heavyweight portfolio – Information and Broadcasting. Vaishnaw held the Railway Ministry since July 2021. He had replaced Piyush Goyal, who led the ministry from September 2017 to July 2021.

First-time MP from Pune and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol has been inducted as Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi government. He is an MP from Pune Lok Sabha constituency and was elected Mayor of Pune in November 2019 replacing Mukta Tilak.

Actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi, BJP’s first Lok Sabha MP from Kerala, became the MoS of Tourism in the NDA Cabinet 3.0. Gopi, who recorded an unprecedented win for NDA from Thrissur constituency, has been made the Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as well.

Telugu Desam Party MP Ram Mohan Naidu has become the 34th Union Minister of Civil Aviation as part of the new Council of Ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led cabinets, replacing Jyotiraditya Scindia. Naidu took oath as part of the new Council of Ministers on June 9. He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Srikakulam constituency, a seat he has now won three times in a row.