A strong case for building a domestic aircraft leasing and financing ecosystem was made during the opening session of Wings India 2026 on Wednesday (January 28, 2026) at Begumpet Airport, Hyderabad, with representatives from regulatory authorities, banks, financiers, aircraft manufacturers and airlines calling for urgent policy and market reforms to anchor leasing activity within India.
The roundtable, the first session on the inaugural day of the event, underlined that aircraft leasing and financing has emerged as a high-priority area for the Indian Government.
Opening the discussion, Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, Ministry of Civil Aviation, said leasing already accounted for nearly 85% of India’s commercial fleet, significantly higher than the global average where around half of all aircraft are leased. Despite this dependence, he said, India continues to lose out on the economic upside of leasing as most aircraft are owned and financed overseas. “India should have a meaningful share in the proceeds of leasing, commensurate with what the country contributes to global aviation growth, if not more,” he said.
Issues deterring local leasing activity
Several speakers flagged structural issues that continue to deter large-scale local leasing activity, including rolling taxation on non-residents, extension of sunset clauses on incentives, higher corporate tax rates and trust deficit among the investors.
