India, Dec. 2 -- Pune International Airport, which handles only a handful of international flights, has made it to the 'top 20' by securing the 19th position in the country in terms of handling international passenger traffic, according to the Bureau of Immigration.

Despite being one of the country's major IT and industrial hubs, Pune International Airport currently has regular direct connectivity only to Dubai, Bangkok - a gap that industry representatives say does not reflect the city's growing global footprint.

Responding to the concerns, union minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said efforts are underway to improve international connectivity. "We are actively working to add more international destinations from Pune....