The valuation of the Indian aviation industry is estimated to be about Rs. 1,50,000 crore and poised to double over the next five years. The only multi-type pilot training facility has been recently acquired by Gautam Adani. There is going to be an estimated shortage of 30,000 pilots in the next five years. Trained pilots are quitting and joining foreign airlines with better salaries and perks, it is pertinent to note that the cost of training one pilot is @1 crore in India. Thus training 30,000 pilots means an assured revenue of Rs 30,000 crore. Even if Adani bags 20 per cent of the pilot training market it will net him Rs 6,000 crore. His purchase of the simulator facility for under Rs 900 crore is thus a smart business move. The Indigo fiasco has put into limelight the impending pilot shortage. Youths who can afford it should look at flying as a viable option now, in India the civil aviation business is almost recession proof.
