Sanction of additional airports & infra investment is a step towards India becoming global aviation hub: Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi, COO at ITQ, this year has witnessed an inclusive union budget release catering nearly all aspects of travel fraternity needs, giving impetus on infrastructure improvement to capital investment and not just economic but green growth. Initiatives such as pushing tourism to border villages, 50 additional airports, 2.40 lakh crores for railway sector -9 times higher compared to FY 13-14, will foster regional connectivity in the country. A 33% hike for last 3 years in capital investment of 10 lakh crores this year on infrastructure improvement, tourist guides information, high standards food streets and security of tourists is all we expected and included in the current budget announcement. However, there is no relief provided from any rationalism to exemption on foreign exchange earnings, rather 4 times increment in TCS on outbound travel from 5% to 20% is going to affect market growth.

Strategic schemes like ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, ‘One district-One product’, and ‘Panchamrit’ are not limited to domestic upliftment. In my opinion, these schemes will create greater impact at the global level having vision in the direction of clean fuel clean environment leading to zero carbon emission by 2070. Dekho Apna Desh shall promote tourism to every corner in India targeting Indian citizens and foreign tourists. In fact, sanction of additional airports and investment in infrastructure is a step towards India’s long been dream of becoming a global aviation hub. Moreover, the vision of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is a hugely welcome step towards significant growth and development of India’s technology driven and knowledge based economy.