RCS-UDAN marks 6 years of success

28 Oct 2023 CW Team

The government-backed initiative, the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) - UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), which aims to enhance infrastructure and connectivity in India, particularly in remote and underserved areas, has completed six years. This scheme is an integral part of India's National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, initiated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on October 21, 2016, with a vision spanning over a decade.

Prime Minister inaugurated the first RCS-UDAN flight on April 27, 2017, linking Shimla to Delhi. The focus of this initiative is to enhance air routes in regions lacking services, thereby fulfilling the common citizens' aspirations.

RCS-UDAN has successfully facilitated travel for over 130 lakh passengers, proving its effectiveness in improving air travel accessibility.

Over the six-year period, several versions of the UDAN Scheme were launched:

UDAN 1.0: 5 airline companies were granted 128 flight routes to 70 airports, including 36 newly operational airports.

UDAN 2.0: 73 underserved and unserved airports were announced, and helipads were connected for the first time.

UDAN 3.0: Tourism Routes were introduced in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. Seaplanes for Water Aerodromes and numerous routes in the North-East Region were included.

UDAN 4.0: Special focus was given to North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands. Operations of helicopters and seaplanes were incorporated.

UDAN Version 5 ? 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2:

Following the success of four bidding rounds, the Ministry of Civil Aviation launched the 5th version of RCS-UDAN, incorporating several improvements based on feedback from stakeholders.

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..