India, Nov. 5 -- While the Hadapsar Gliding Centre (HGC) - India's oldest surviving hub for non-powered flight - gears up for its platinum jubilee celebrations on November 7, 2025; the fate of this symbol of India's civil aviation heritage hangs in the balance as plans shape up to bring it under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, sparking fears that the very ideals on which it was founded - accessibility, affordability and public spirit - might be lost.

Established in 1950 as part of Jawaharlal Nehru's vision to democratise aviation, the HGC was designed to give ordinary citizens a chance to experience the freedom of flight. Once counted among 18 such centres across the country, Hadapsar now remains the sole surviving operational ...