Why India Needs to Build Aircraft, Not Just Buy Them

How Flamingo Aerospace Founder & CEO Subhakar Pappula is Shaping the Conversation on India’s Next Industrial Frontier

For decades, India’s aviation story has been defined by rising passenger numbers, expanding airports, and the rapid growth of airlines. Every new route, record-breaking travel season, and aircraft joining the country’s fleets has been celebrated as a milestone in this remarkable journey.

Yet, behind this impressive growth lies an uncomfortable reality: India has emerged as one of the world’s largest aviation markets without becoming a major manufacturer of commercial aircraft.

This is precisely the question entrepreneur Subhakar Pappula, Founder and CEO of Flamingo Aerospace, has been raising across industry forums, policy discussions, and national publications. His argument is both simple and significant: if India aspires to become a global manufacturing leader, aviation cannot remain an industry where the nation participates primarily as a customer.

Unlike many discussions in aviation that focus on airline profitability or airport capacity, Subhakar’s perspective goes much deeper. His emphasis is on building the industrial capability required to sustain India’s aviation economy for decades to come.

His thought leadership consistently revolves around one fundamental question:

“Can India truly become an aviation power without building the ecosystem behind the aircraft?”

This question has increasingly resonated across industry publications, where he has written extensively about regional aviation, indigenous manufacturing, aerospace talent, localisation, and the future of India’s aviation economy.

Looking Beyond Aircraft

Most people view aircraft as finished products. Subhakar sees them differently.

To him, every aircraft represents thousands of manufacturers, engineers, software developers, precision component suppliers, certification specialists, maintenance facilities, and highly skilled technicians working together.

In other words, an aircraft is not merely a machine—it is an industrial ecosystem.

This philosophy has become the foundation of Flamingo Aerospace, the Hyderabad-based company he founded in 2022 with the vision of building a self-reliant aviation ecosystem in India, rather than participating only in aircraft procurement.

A Different Way of Thinking About Regional Aviation

India’s UDAN programme has connected dozens of underserved airports and hundreds of regional routes, significantly improving accessibility for smaller cities.

However, Subhakar argues that connectivity alone represents only one part of the equation.

In a recent opinion article, he wrote that the next phase of India’s aviation journey should combine regional connectivity with indigenous industrial capability.

His point is straightforward.

If India expects regional aviation to continue growing for decades, it must also develop domestic capabilities in aircraft assembly, maintenance, component manufacturing, engineering, and lifecycle support. Otherwise, every phase of expansion will continue to depend heavily on overseas supply chains.

Flamingo Aerospace’s Long-Term Vision

Rather than positioning itself solely as an aircraft company, Flamingo Aerospace envisions itself as an aviation platform.

Its roadmap includes localisation of aircraft systems, manufacturing capabilities, maintenance and overhaul (MRO), engineering partnerships, and the development of an Indian aerospace supply chain.

The company’s preliminary agreement with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation for six IL-114-300 regional turboprop aircraft also includes discussions around phased localisation and technology transfer, reflecting its broader industrial ambitions rather than a simple aircraft purchase.

Building Talent Before Building Factories

One of Subhakar’s recurring themes is that aerospace leadership cannot be achieved through infrastructure alone.

Factories matter.

Investment matters.

Policy matters.

But ultimately, aerospace is a talent-driven industry.

In his published articles, he argues that India already possesses world-class engineering capabilities but requires stronger investment in aerospace-specific research, flight systems, avionics, certification, and systems integration.

He also advocates closer collaboration between universities, industry, and government to develop the specialised workforce needed for a truly indigenous aerospace sector.

Why This Conversation Matters Now

India is projected to remain one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world.

Airports are expanding.

Regional connectivity is accelerating.

Passenger demand continues to rise.

Yet, the larger opportunity extends far beyond transporting people.

It lies in building one of the world’s most sophisticated manufacturing ecosystems.

Countries recognised as aerospace leaders did not achieve that status simply by operating more flights. They built expertise in engineering, design, manufacturing, certification, and maintenance over several decades.

Subhakar believes India now stands at a similar inflection point.

From Operator to Originator

Perhaps that is why Subhakar Pappula’s ideas are receiving increasing attention across aviation media.

His message is not centred on a single company. It is centred on a national industrial ambition.

India has already demonstrated that it can become a global technology powerhouse.

The next challenge is whether it can also become an aerospace manufacturing powerhouse.

For Subhakar, the answer will depend on whether India chooses to remain one of the world’s largest buyers of aircraft—or commits to becoming one of the nations that build them.