The one thing that stands out in BJP’s manifesto is aviation. Can promises fly?

livemint.com:

As party manifestos go, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) manifesto for the upcoming general elections is fairly standard, with promises about its plans if re-elected. However, what stands out in this year's BJP manifesto is its significant emphasis on the civil aviation sector, which is mentioned 11 times in the 76-page document.

Arguably, this is the first time the sector has received such extensive attention in a party manifesto. But signs that the ruling party was focusing on aviation were evident during its last term as well, as evidenced by mentions in the budget speeches of finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the years.

There is no denying the need for what the BJP manifesto promises — establishing a commercial aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in the country and designing a policy for aerospace manufacturing, especially aimed at developing an indigenous passenger aircraft. The manifesto also discusses transforming India into a global hub for aviation manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities, formulating a master plan for airport transformation, expanding international airports, and establishing domestic international hubs.

While these plans are ambitious and forward-thinking, the real challenge will be in the details of their implementation. India’s venture into civilian aircraft production began in the early 1960s with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) starting licensed production of Airbus helicopters.

Thanks to the global stature that Indian companies have achieved in research and development, they have become integral to the aircraft production of major global manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus. Although production of civilian aircraft represents about 6-8% of the