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27-Sep-2012 3:19 PM

CAPA India Aviation Summit: reformist agenda could drive new wave of investment and growth

Press Release

The CAPA India Aviation Summit to be held in Mumbai on 30-31 October 2012 is set to be the most significant gathering of aviation leaders ever held in the Indian market.

The event comes at a time of resurgent global interest in the Indian aviation sector following significant reforms announced by the Government earlier this month, which included permission for foreign airlines to invest in Indian carriers. Combined with a broader set of reforms designed to liberalise and kick-start the economy, stakeholders with both short and long term interests need to understand more than ever the current status and future direction of the market.

With over 200 senior decision-makers in attendance and a programme based on up-to-date research and analysis, the networking and knowledge building opportunities will be unsurpassed at this critical time of transition in the industry.

Summary
  • The CAPA India Aviation Summit in 2012 was a significant gathering of aviation leaders in the Indian market.
  • The event took place at a time when there was renewed global interest in the Indian aviation sector due to recent government reforms.
  • Over 200 senior decision-makers from industry and government attended the summit.
  • The summit discussed various topics including the future prospects of the Indian aviation market, reforms by the government, opportunities for foreign airlines, the success of low-cost carriers, and the outlook for full-service carriers.
  • The event also addressed opportunities for foreign airport operators and the experience of Indian airport operators.
  • The summit included a roundtable discussion to establish a new and viable business model for Indian aviation, with the participation of key government officials and industry leaders.

The speaker line-up below already includes most of the key figures from industry and government with many more confirmations expected over the coming days:

More information about the event can be found at www.capaindiasummit.com or contact Tarika Wadhwa. For information about the unique sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available please contact Binit Somaia.

Topics for discussion at the Summit

Re-connecting the world to opportunities in Indian Aviation Despite recent challenges the underlying fundamental remain strong and the long term prospects for the Indian market are amongst the most exciting in global aviation. This presentation will look at the drivers that will likely see India emerge as the 3rd largest market in the world before 2020, and the opportunities which this presents.

Creating the framework for a viable aviation sector As Indian aviation prepares for its next wave of growth, the Minister of Civil Aviation will outline the numerous initiatives and reforms being pursued by the Government in order to create a policy and regulatory framework which is supportive of a viable and sustainable aviation industry.

From the outside looking in: Opportunities for foreign airlines International traffic to/from India has been a strong and steady performer, growing at close to 12% per annum over the last 8 years since the market was liberalised. Several carriers would like to see bilaterals opened up further believing the demand to be greater even than that we have seen. And now in light of recent reforms, not only is India a source of traffic for foreign carriers, but a potential destination for a strategic investment. As one of the aviation powerhouses of the next decade, it is a market that cannot be ignored, but how should it best be approached? This session will discuss alternative Indian market strategies for global carriers and to understand whether they have the appetite to invest.

The LCC story in India Ten years ago there were no LCCs in India. Today they account for almost 70% of domestic capacity and 20% of international, and the model is clearly here to stay. This session will look at the reasons behind the success of India's LCCs despite the challenges in the operating environment and consider how the model will evolve going forward.

Secrets of success on regional international routes Regional international routes to/from India and the Gulf and Southeast Asia have seen dramatic growth in recent years with the launch of new business models and an explosion in outbound travel, with large numbers of first time travellers and a trend towards increasing short break holidays. This panel will consider the key success factors for airlines on these routes, and how they either compete or cooperate with larger network carriers.

Outlook for full service carriers in India India's full service carriers have seen a dramatic change in the competitive landscape over the last decade with the launch of domestic LCCs and the expansion of foreign carriers. This session will consider how they are adapting to the new environment through the use of product differentiation, new aircraft technology, low cost subsidiaries and ancillary revenue streams. And whether over the next decade they have the opportunity to leverage India's huge home market and improving airport infrastructure to emerge as competitive global network carriers.

From the outside looking in: Opportunities for foreign airport operators This session will address the dual opportunities that India presents to global airport operators. Firstly, the rapid growth of inbound and outbound traffic in India is delivering increasing passenger numbers to airports around the world. This session will examine how to tap into this growth and the route development prospects. And secondly, India's multi-billion dollar airport modernisation program requires global capital and expertise creating investment and advisory opportunities, but how attractive are they to overseas operators and what are the risks?

The Indian airport operator experience India's airport landscape has changed dramatically the Government announced the airport modernisation program in 2005. All six metros and up to 35 non-metros have seen significant improvements to the quality of infrastructure with more in the pipeline, as a result of almost USD10 billion of investment. In this session the heads of the state-owned and the PPP airport operators will discuss their experience to date in project execution, regulatory issues, traffic development and relationships with key stakeholders.

Investing in Indian Aviation: where will the funding come from? This panel of private equity funds, aircraft lessors and institutional and infrastructure investors will discuss their perspective on the opportunities which they see in Indian aviation, their appetite to take on the risks present in the sector, mitigation strategies, India's attractiveness as a destination relative to other markets and the reforms they would like to see which could deliver the capital flows to support transformational growth.

Developing political consensus on a viable framework for aviation The aviation industry is a key enabler of economic growth and it is in India's interests that a viable policy and regulatory framework is established. If sufficient capital is to be attracted, a long term vision is required which extends beyond the tenure of any single administration. This requires a broad-based consensus not only between Ministries but also across the political spectrum. In this session we assess the prospects for achieving common ground.

CAPA invitation-only roundtable, a powerful initiative for Indian and international stakeholders

The importance which CAPA India attaches to delivering outcomes is highlighted by the fact that on the evening of 30th October 2012, an exclusive Roundtable will be hosted to discuss how we establish a new and viable business model for Indian aviation. This invitation-only event will comprise key government officials and selected heads of industry from organisations with a stake in the successful revival of the Indian aviation industry.

The evening will consist of 3 hours of intensive deliberation between 80 of the most senior executives from airlines, bankers, investors, aircraft manufacturers, lessors, airport operators, state governments, tourism operators, regulators and policy makers on how to set the Indian aviation sector back on its strong growth trajectory. This roundtable session is already being highly anticipated by participants as perhaps the most seminal discussion in Indian aviation held amongst an unprecedented gathering of decision makers and stakeholders. For more information about the CAPA Roundtable please contact Binit Somaia.

Further information

More information about the event can be found at www.capaindiasummit.com or contact Tarika Wadhwa. For information about the unique sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available please contact Binit Somaia.