Government commissions study to prepare HR road map for aviation sector

The central government has decided to take on the human resources (HR) challenge thrown up by the rapid growth of the aviation sector in the country, by preparing an aviation sector manpower plan for the next 20 years.

The idea is not only to create an aviation manpower pool to meet the growing needs of the domestic industry, but also to position India as an aviation HR sourcing hub globally.(See: Aviation industry not doing enough to set up training facilities)

The ministry has roped in the Confederation of India Industry (CII) to prepare a detailed study of the industry's manpower requirements, including a road map for creating a pool of technical and management professionals.

CII will soon appoint a leading consultancy firm to undertake the study, which is expected to be complete by the end of October this year. Leading international consultancy firms, including Accenture, KPMG and McKinsey, are in the fray.

The study will take a holistic view of the human resources required by the aviation industry. It will also project the manpower demand for various disciplines across a progressive five-to-20-year time frame.

One of the unusual terms of reference for the study is to project what would be required to position India as a preferred source of skilled and qualified technical manpower for aviation worldwide, including pilots, engineers and technicians, air traffic controllers (ATCs), airport managers, etc.

Currently, there are around 800 expatriate pilots working in various Indian airlines.

The study would also recommend changes needed in the government's accreditation and regulatory frameworks, so that flying clubs and other training institutions can improve the quality and numbers of the personnel they train.