PUNE, June 25 -- Union minister of civil aviation Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Tuesday announced the creation of a dedicated helicopter directorate under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aimed at providing single-window regulatory oversight, addressing helicopter-specific safety and certification issues, and assisting operators with procedural requirements. Naidu made announcement during his address at the seventh 'Helicopter and Small Aircraft Summit'. Despite India's size and growing aviation needs, the country currently has only around 300 helicopters in civil operation-far fewer than countries like Brazil, which has over 600. Highlighting this gap, Naidu said that the new dedicated directorate under the DGCA will be a first-of-its-kind institutional support mechanism for rotary-wing aviation. He also acknowledged financial challenges in the small aircraft segment, particularly the high cost of new aircraft. "To promote aircraft leasing, we passed a bill in Parliament protecting aircraft objects' interests. As a result, leasing costs have reduced by 8 to 10%," he noted. Naidu highlighted the Centre's digital initiatives such as the Heli Sewa portal that have helped streamline operations through digitised processes like route approvals and slot allocations, enhancing transparency and efficiency across the board. The summit also witnessed the formal award of new Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) helicopter routes across several states, further strengthening regional air connectivity under the central government's flagship UDAN scheme. Speaking to operators and industry stakeholders, Naidu underlined the importance of building a robust aviation safety culture, especially on high-risk routes. "Safety of pilgrims must remain our top priority-there can be no shortcuts, no room for communication errors, and no margin for poor decision-making. We must build a culture of trust, dialogue and discipline which I feel is a shared responsibility between the Centre, the states, and the operators," he said. Referring to this year's helicopter accidents during the 'Char Dham Yatra', Naidu stressed that there can be no compromise on safety. He cited operational challenges such as sudden weather changes that make take-off and landing difficult for pilots. To counter this, the ministry is exploring the use of advanced technologies and improved air traffic control systems. The June 15 crash of an Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd helicopter returning from Kedarnath, which killed all seven persons on board, was among the incidents that brought safety concerns. "There should be no compromise on the safety aspect. For the 'Char Dham Yatra', we want to enhance the safety even more. We are looking into enhanced surveillance. Since it is a hilly area, the air traffic management is challenging as there is no signal there. That is why we are looking for solutions so that we can have better air traffic control," Naidu said....