PM Modi Received This Unusual Gift From Deputy CM Eknath Shinde At Navi Mumbai International Airport Inauguration

PM Modi Received This Unusual Gift From Deputy CM Eknath Shinde At Navi Mumbai International Airport Inauguration

Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Wednesday

Amisha ShirgaveUpdated: Wednesday, October 08, 2025, 04:32 PM IST
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially inaugurated the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Wednesday, marking a historic milestone in India’s aviation sector. The state-of-the-art facility is expected to transform the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) into the country’s first dual-airport hub, easing congestion at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

A historic gesture: Gifts symbolsing innovation

During the felicitation ceremony, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis presented Prime Minister Modi with a model of the new airport, symbolising Maharashtra’s growing infrastructure prowess. Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also presented a replica of India’s first-ever aircraft, attributed to Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, who is believed to have built and flown an unmanned aircraft named Marut Sakha in 1895.

According to local accounts and oral traditions, Talpade conducted a flight experiment in 1895 on Mumbai’s Chowpatty beach, where the unmanned aircraft allegedly flew to a small height before descending. If true, this would have predated the Wright Brothers’ successful flight by eight years, which took place in 1903. However, there is no documented photographic or scientific evidence confirming that the aircraft achieved sustained or controlled flight.

Dignitaries attend the grand launch ceremony

The inauguration ceremony was attended by several prominent leaders and dignitaries, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Governor Acharya Devvrat, industrialist Gautam Adani, Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, and Maharashtra Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol. Prime Minister Modi arrived at the newly constructed airport to a grand welcome before commencing the inauguration event.

Phase 1 ready to handle 20 million passengers annually

The first phase of NMIA is designed to handle 20 million passengers per annum (MPPA). When the entire project is completed, the airport will feature four modern terminals and two parallel runways, enabling it to manage up to 90 MPPA and 3.25 million metric tonnes of cargo annually.

Built with cutting-edge sustainable technology, NMIA aims to reduce travel time for passengers across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region while supporting India’s goal of becoming a global aviation hub. The airport’s strategic location near the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and upcoming Navi Mumbai Metro network ensures enhanced regional connectivity.

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