Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu is the Hon’ble Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Government of India, and one of the youngest leaders to head India’s rapidly expanding civil-aviation sector. A three-term Member of Parliament from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, he assumed charge of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in June 2024, bringing to the portfolio a combination of youthful leadership, legislative experience and a strong interest in technology, infrastructure and economic development. The Ministry’s current official records continue to identify him as the Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation.
Born on 18 December 1987 in Nimmada, Srikakulam, Shri Naidu comes from a political family; his father, Shri Yerrannaidu Kinjarapu, was a prominent parliamentarian and Union Minister. He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana, and an MBA from Long Island University, New York. He entered Parliament in 2014 and was subsequently re-elected in 2019 and 2024, bringing experience from several parliamentary committees, including Railways, Home Affairs, Agriculture, Public Undertakings and Rural Development.
Since taking charge of Civil Aviation, Shri Naidu has articulated a clear vision of making air travel more accessible, affordable, safe and passenger-centric while preparing India for the next 25 years of aviation growth. At the time of assuming office, he described “ease of flying” as a central priority and emphasised the importance of making aviation accessible to every citizen. His agenda has extended beyond passenger aviation to encompass airport infrastructure, regional connectivity, aviation safety, aircraft leasing and financing, air-cargo development, skilling and the strengthening of India’s overall aviation ecosystem.
A major focus of his tenure has been the expansion and transformation of regional air connectivity. He has consistently stressed that aviation must serve not only major metropolitan centres but also remote, border and emerging regions, particularly the Northeast. In discussions on Northeast aviation, he has highlighted the role of improved connectivity in supporting tourism, cargo and logistics, industrial development and wider socio-economic growth. His policy approach is therefore closely connected with the broader objective of using aviation as an enabler of economic opportunity and regional development.
Safety and technological modernisation have also been prominent themes. Under his leadership, the Ministry has advanced investments in aviation-safety infrastructure, including the establishment of a modern Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder laboratory at the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, strengthening India’s domestic capability to investigate aviation incidents and improve safety systems. He has also emphasised the importance of developing skilled aviation professionals to support the sector’s unprecedented expansion.
Shri Naidu has additionally championed the development of India as a global aviation hub, including through aircraft leasing and financing. At the India Aircraft Leasing & Financing Summit 2.0 in May 2026, he highlighted the potential of GIFT IFSC to emerge as a global centre for aircraft leasing and aviation finance, linking financial-sector development with India’s growing aircraft fleet and aviation ambitions. His ministry has also continued to strengthen aviation education and industry capability, including partnerships between the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya for specialised aviation training.
His larger mission is to position Indian civil aviation as a catalyst for national growth—combining affordability and passenger experience with safety, infrastructure, regional connectivity, cargo, skills, technology and global competitiveness. With India among the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, Shri Rammohan Naidu’s tenure is closely associated with the effort to build an aviation ecosystem capable of supporting the country’s economic transformation while ensuring that the benefits of air connectivity reach an increasingly broad section of the population.
