DGCA seeks autonomy to strengthen oversight of India’s booming aviation sector
India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is seeking greater financial and staffing autonomy, aligning itself with global counterparts in the US, UK, and Europe, as it looks to reinforce its oversight capacity in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets. According to a Bloomberg report, the DGCA wants the authority to independently recruit professionals and offer competitive salaries to attract and retain talent in critical technical roles. The regulator is also requesting increased funding to design and run regular training programmes for its staff, ensuring inspectors remain up to date with global safety and operational standards.
India has become the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market, with passenger traffic more than doubling over the past decade from 116 million to 234 million. The country’s aircraft fleet has also grown by over 100% to 841 aircraft, and Indian carriers currently hold an order book of more than 1,300 new aircraft, one of the largest commitments globally. This rapid growth has significantly increased the DGCA’s workload, from certifying new aircraft to monitoring safety compliance across operators, prompting experts to stress the need for the regulator to be “future-ready” to manage this expanding sector.
Despite its growing responsibilities, the DGCA faces significant resource constraints. Of its 1,063 technical posts, only 553 are filled. India currently has 4,295 air traffic controllers, compared with the FAA’s 46,170 personnel, which include 14,000 controllers and 7,000 safety inspectors. In terms of funding, DGCA received just $38 million for the financial year ending March 2025, far below its global peers. The FAA had a $23.1 billion budget in 2024, while EASA and the UK CAA received almost eight and six times more funding, respectively. These disparities underscore the challenges the DGCA faces in scaling up its oversight capabilities.
DGCA also lacks a formalised training module, with limited funding restricting the design of specialised programmes in collaboration with domestic and international institutions. This has affected the deployment of qualified inspectors across all regions and for various aircraft types, leaving gaps in oversight. These shortcomings gained attention following the recent Air India crash, which killed all but one passenger, prompting a system-wide audit of safety procedures and raising concerns about the DGCA’s ability to maintain safety standards amid rapid industry growth.
Granting the DGCA autonomy could address several of these challenges. Industry experts say it would allow the regulator to recruit faster and offer market-aligned salaries, attracting top engineers and inspectors. Autonomy could also help expand staff strength to ensure adequate coverage across regions and fleets, while funding independence would enable the development of world-class training programmes in partnership with leading international aviation institutes. A more robust DGCA could enhance global credibility and ensure proactive monitoring of airlines as India’s fleet continues to grow.