Ministry of Civil Aviation & FICCI Organized ‘Stakeholder Evaluation Workshop on Krishi UDAN 2.0’

A stakeholder workshop for the evaluation of Krishi UDAN 2.0 was organized by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The conference brought together experts from the air cargo sector to discuss the advantages of Krishi UDAN and how domestic air cargo players can collaborate to create a seamless transaction across the value chain.

Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, MoCA, presided over the workshop, which was moderated by Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary-MoCA. Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, MoCA, Saurabh Endley, Joint Secretary- MoD North-eastern Region, Ashutosh Dey, Joint Secretary, DONER, Ajay Kumar, CEO, AAICLAS, senior dignitaries from MoCA, AAICLAS, FICCI, MoA&FW, Department of Fisheries, and 26 Airport Directors attended the Workshop.

Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, MoCA, emphasized the importance of the Krishi UDAN workshop, saying, "Such workshops help in having a meaningful discussion and act as a brainstorming session for new ideas." During the two years of the Covid-19 Pandemic, it became clear that cargo can play a significant role in the long-term viability of airlines. Our country is vast, with diverse agricultural produce, and it is in the interest of the airline and the airport to facilitate the transportation of agricultural products, resulting in a sufficient demand for local producers in both the domestic and international markets. We (MoCA) are willing to work on some pilot projects with the agricultural department and state governments to develop a transportation subsidy scheme that will aid in faster transportation."

Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, MoCA, delivered a presentation on "Krishi UDAN 2.0 Evaluation," highlighting the program's achievements, scope, impact on agriculture, and future prospects. The scheme's performance in relation to various airports was also discussed. It was also announced that five new airports, Belagavi, Jharsuguda, Jabalpur, Darbhanga, and Bhopal, would be added to the existing 53 Krishi UDAN airports. This would result in 58 airports actively participating in Krishi UDAN.

Ajay Kumar, CEO-AAICLAS, gave another presentation on domestic and international cargo in India, highlighting the growth and impact of AAICLAS on the agricultural industry and how AAICLAS is assisting in Krishi UDAN.

Following the presentations, a Q&A session was held in which various industry players shared their ideas on how to improve and expedite agricultural and perishable product transportation.

In August 2020, Krishi UDAN Scheme 1.0 was launched on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products to improve value realisation. Krishi UDAN 2.0, which was announced on September 27, 2021, will focus on transporting perishable food products from hilly areas, north-eastern states, and tribal areas, further improving the scheme.