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The collaboration aims to create a future ready workforce for India’s rapidly expanding aviation ecosystem Greater Noida, 2nd April 2026: The School for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (SAME), promoted by InterGlobe Group and one of India’s leading AME schools, has announced its selection by IndiGo as the official training partner for its Cadet AME program. This specialized training pathway is designed to identify, train, and prepare high-potential students to become market-ready Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, meeting the escalating demands of India’s booming aviation sector. With the country projected to become one of the world’s top aviation markets, the rapid growth in passenger traffic and aircraft induction has created an urgent need for technically skilled, DGCA‑licensed professionals. The Cadet AME Program directly addresses this gap by creating a structured, high performance talent pipeline. Cadets will be trained in an environment that mirrors the real-world operational expectations, ensuring a seamless transition into active maintenance roles. By combining SAME’s academic excellence with IndiGo’s operational ecosystem, the Cadet AME program sets a new benchmark for technical aviation education in India. The program leverages SAME’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced training aids, and a faculty of seasoned industry professionals to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and airline-specific readiness. This collaboration aims to strengthen India’s long-term maintenance workforce and provide a direct pathway to aspiring engineers towards impactful, future-ready careers. Aditya Pande, Group Chief Executive Officer, InterGlobe Enterprises, said, “The Indian aviation sector is on a remarkable growth trajectory, accentuated by the country’s massive aircraft orders. This requires an equally robust and skilled workforce of competent Aircraft Maintenance Engineers. Our collaboration with IndiGo for the Cadet AME Program is a strategic step towards building this critical talent pool. It ensures that future AMEs are not just academically proficient but are job-ready, contributing directly to India’s aviation safety and efficiency. At InterGlobe, we remain committed to nurturing the next generation of aviation professionals.” Parichay Datta, Senior Vice President Engineering, IndiGo, said, “India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market and is increasingly emerging as a key driver of global aviation growth. IndiGo mirrors this trajectory, with an order book of over 900 aircraft scheduled to join our fleet over the next decade, underscoring our long-term commitment to scale and network expansion. In this context, our collaboration with SAME to launch the Cadet AME Program is both timely and strategic. This initiative will play an important role in building a sustainable talent pipeline, developing highly skilled, industry-ready aviation maintenance professionals who will, in time, form the backbone of IndiGo’s expansion and contribute meaningfully to the broader development of India’s aviation ecosystem.” Selection Process Through this program, the School for Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (SAME) will select 30 cadets in the Category B1.1 (Aeroplanes Turbine) category from its 2026-27 academic intake. The selection involves a rigorous screening process, including an entrance examination and academic evaluation. Shortlisted candidates will then undergo a final personal assessment administered by IndiGo. The Cadets will complete theoretical instruction and practical workshop training at SAME’s world class facilities, while Actual Environment Training (AET) will be conducted at IndiGo’s maintenance bases. The curriculum will be further strengthened with an enhanced focus on DGCA modules, technical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and conceptual depth. Professional Growth The program offers a direct professional trajectory for aspiring engineers as IndiGo will offer employment to cadets as Junior Cadet AMEs, subject to full compliance with all prescribed terms and conditions, as well as the successful completion of all required DGCA-approved modules and examinations. By aligning academic rigor with industry-leading operational standards, this Cadet AME Program aims to ensure a steady pipeline of skilled engineers to support the safety and scale of India’s growing aviation sector.

New Delhi, 31st March 2026: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) have signed an MoU with an objective of sharing/enhancing of knowledge, skills relevant to the scientific, technological, and management aspects in the broad areas of Aviation, Aviation Engineering and Aviation Management. It was signed by DGCA Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai and Vice Chancellor of GSV Prof Manoj Choudhury in the presence of Minister of Civil Aviation Shi Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Minster of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw. Secretary, Civil Aviation Shri Samir Kumar Sinha, Chairman Railway Board Shri Satish Kumar and other senior officials from DGCA, Railways and GSV were also present during the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Shi Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said, “On a very historic MoU that we have signed between Gati Shakti and DGCA, I would first like to congratulate both the units for being the foundation of one of the most important MoUs that is going to transform the overall aviation sector in terms of the workforce that we are trying to build for tomorrow,” adding, “Under the visionary leadership of our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, we have witnessed tremendous success in the last 12 years. Especially what started as the mantra “hawai chappal se hawai jahaj ka safar”, where we wanted aviation to be not just an exclusive sector for travel but an inclusive sector for travel.” The primary objective of this MoU is to promote quality manpower for the aviation and MRO sector through an undergraduate degree in Aviation Maintenance Engineering (AME) by enhanced industry-academia partnerships. The curriculum shall be implemented from the upcoming academic year 2026-27 (August 2026) onwards. In opening remark Hon’ble Minister of Civil Aviation addressed the gathering saying that signing of this MoU is a historic moment. Both GSV and DGCA will work together and collaboratively design a future-ready three-year B.Sc. (AME) curriculum that seamlessly integrates academic depth, regulatory compliance, and industry-aligned competencies to power India’s next-generation MRO. In the MoU, it has also been proposed that GSV shall also work with DGCA as its research / knowledge partner in the field of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Aircraft Maintenance, Parts Manufacturing and its integration. GSV will also support in the capacity building and training of other DGCA officers. Speaking about the future of aviation sector in the country, the Minister said, “The most important part in the aviation sector is how well we are able to create an aviation manufacturing ecosystem in the country, and this is something we have focused on. We have seen tremendous success in the last 5 years, especially in terms of MROs, which have increased from around 160 to more than 240.” Shri Shi Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu further elaborated, “We always talk about the demand India is creating in aviation. It is a very huge figure—we have around 1700 aircraft on order, which itself gives you the picture of nearly 2X of the current fleet. These aircraft are going to take few years to come into our airspace. Once the whole ecosystem is built, we may have up to 3,000 aircraft in our airspace by, probably, 2036.” He said that by then, all these aircraft must be supported by the right workforce. The requirement for pilots in the next 10 years is going to be around 10,000 to 12,000. Currently, many pilots prefer to do their training outside and then come back to India. Speaking about achieving Viksit Bharat by 2047, the Minister said, “By 2047, we aim to become a developed country, and for that, we must be self-reliant. We want to see an Atmanirbhar Bharat—where we make in India and train in India. All these components, when combined together, are what this MoU is going to focus on.” In closing remark Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw reiterated that the GSV has already earned its worldwide reputation and entered in collaboration with sixty two industry partners to produce industry ready professionals. He also called upon to establish a centre of excellence for precision manufacturing engineering in GSV to support the initiative of Viksit Bharat. This MoU will establish structured bridge between regulation, academia, and industry. While DGCA continues to set licensing standards under CAR-66 and CAR-147 frameworks, GSV shall function as a national academic anchor for curriculum innovation, instructor development, research integration, and industry-linked apprenticeship models. By embedding hands-on MRO training, simulation labs, OEM partnerships, and competency-based learning pathways into AME education, the GSV- DGCA collaboration shall create a future-ready workforce capable of supporting India’s expanding airline fleets and positioning the country as a competitive global MRO destination not only for aircraft maintenance but also for aircraft manufacturing.