 "New Delhi: TDP leader Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu takes oath as minister at the swearing-in ceremony of new Union government, at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav)(PTI06_09_2024_000435B)")
Telugu Desam Party’s (TDP’s) Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, the third-time consecutive winner from the Srikakulam Lok Sabha (LS) constituency in Andhra Pradesh, was appointed Union civil aviation minister on Monday.
At 36 years old, Ram Mohan Naidu is the youngest minister in the Union Cabinet.
The son of former Union Minister K Yerran Naidu, he pursued electrical engineering at Purdue University and earned a Master’s degree in business administration from Long Island University. Initially considering a career in Singapore, Ram Mohan returned to his hometown following his father’s death in a road accident in 2012.
He fought and won his first election in 2014 at the age of 26, making him the second youngest Member of Parliament (MP) in LS at that time. He won again in 2019. In 2024, he won against the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party’s Tilak Perada by a margin of 327,901 votes.
As an MP, he has introduced a private members’ Bill to draw the attention of the Centre towards the Andhra Pradesh Railway Zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters.
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When TDP National President Nara Chandrababu Naidu was arrested last year over his alleged involvement in a skill development scam, his son Lokesh along with Ram Mohan played a pivotal role in navigating the political circles of Delhi.
The new aviation minister faces a host of challenges as Indian carriers plan massive expansion with orders for 1,150 aircraft by 2035. A key issue is the demand from the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for more bilateral flying rights, which Indian carriers like Air India oppose, fearing it will undermine their growth plans. However, there is a division among Indian airlines on this.
Developing Indian hubs to rival Dubai/Doha is another priority, but funding expansions at major private airports is a concern.
Rapid airport growth also requires addressing human resource shortages across roles like pilots, engineers, and air traffic controllers.
Aviation consultancy firm CAPA India last week warned of a severe shortage of key aviation employees.
Furthermore, the disinvestment of three major aviation companies — AI Engineering Services (AIESL), AI Airport Services, and regional airline Alliance Air — remains unresolved after being put on hold following the sale of Air India to the Tata Group in 2021.
Air India has shown interest in buying AIESL.
Additionally, the government’s plan to lease out 13 airports to private players has been in cold storage for the past four years. The last round of airport privatisation occurred in 2019 when six airports were leased to Adani Group for 50 years after competitive bidding.
