Air sports in the country to have an oversight body

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Last Updated09/06/2022

For the first time in India, air sports such as paragliding or hot-air ballooning will come under a four-tier governance structure.
Four-tier structure: The ASFI at the top, followed by national associations for individual sports and their regional and district-level units.
Air Sports Federation of India (ASFI) as the apex body which will oversee aspects such as regulation, certification, accidents and penalties.

Air sports industry in India:
- Worth ₹80-100 crore at present,
- Employment generation- with nearly 5,000 providers, which could grow 10 times in terms of revenue and yield 1 lakh direct jobs apart from a multiplier impact on the economy.
- Ability to transform into a huge industry.
Sports that will come within its ambit are aeromodelling, model rocketry, amateur-built and experimental aircraft, ballooning, drones, gliding, powered gliding, parachuting, paramotoring, powered aircraft and rotorcraft.

The ASFI will be an autonomous body under the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA)
Represent India at global platforms
It will be chaired by the Secretary, MoCA, who will nominate up to three eminent experts related to air sports as members of the ASFI governing council.
Initially, these bodies will receive financial support from MoCA.
The government will also look at various incentives to encourage the sport such as reducing the GST on air sports equipment from 18%-28% to 5% or less.