Why More Aspiring Pilots Can Now Choose to Train in India

India’s demand for pilots is rising fast as the country becomes the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market. Industry estimates call for 25,000–30,000 new pilots over the next decade, potentially increasing to 30,000–40,000 depending on an order book of roughly 1,600 aircraft. CAPA India projects 22,400 pilots by FY 2030, while the Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu has pointed to a need for 20,000-plus trained pilots soon. Yet licensing output has lagged: between 2020 and 2024, about 5,700 Commercial Pilot Licences (CPLs) were issued, though 1,652 were issued in 2025. In 2025, airlines also issued 236 temporary licences to foreign pilots as a costly stopgap. The article highlights Chimes Aviation Academy in Madhya Pradesh, founded in 2007, which has logged over 200,000 flying hours, graduated more than 1,000 alumni, and operates 33 aircraft under DGCA approval.