India – At the Aviation INDIA and South Asia Summit & Exhibition 2025, pilot training has been elevated to the forefront of India’s air transport growth agenda. The event will convene senior stakeholders to deliberate on how India can scale pilot training initiatives to match its rapidly growing airline fleet deployment.

• Analysts and industry estimates indicate 16,000 pilots will be needed over the next decade in India, notably to support IndiGo and Air India.

• A pilot training focussed panel—moderated by Maximilian Buerger of AFM—will explore key questions: Who will train those pilots over the next five years? Are current investments in training infrastructure sufficient?

• The session will also assess the role of MPL (Multi‑Crew Pilot License) pathways for India and address the challenge of staffing flight instructors.

• Panelists include:

  • Sunil Bhaskaran, Director, Air India Aviation Academy

  • Capt. Ashim Mittra, SVP Flight Operations, IndiGo

  • YN (Bobby) Sharma, CEO, Chimes Aviation Academy

  • Khushbeg Jattanna, GM India, Simaero

  • Joel Davidson, CEO, AeroGuard Flight Training Center

• The 2025 summit is slated for 29–30 October 2025 at JW Marriott, Aerocity, New Delhi, and expects to host 800+ delegates and around 50 exhibitors.

Source: Aviation INDIA and South Asia Summit & Exhibition