'Play Indian Music in Airports & Flights': Civil Aviation Ministry to Operators

The ministry has asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and premises.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday, 28 December, asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and premises.

(Photo: iStock)

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Tuesday, 28 December, asked all airlines and airports to consider playing Indian music in their flights and premises.

Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Joint Secretary Usha Padhee, in a letter addressed to airlines and airport operators, lamented that Indian airlines seldom play Indian music on their flights.

“Music played by most of the airlines across the globe is quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, jazz in American airlines or Mozart in Austrian airlines and Arab music in an airline from the Middle East. But, Indian airlines seldom play Indian music in the flight, whereas, our music has a rich heritage and culture and it is one of the many things every Indian has a reason for (being) truly proud of it.”

Ministry of Civil Aviation

"It is, therefore, requested to kindly consider playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites," the ministry stated in the letter.

The MoCA's directive comes after the Indian Council of Cultural Research (ICCR) had requested "the promotion of Indian music in flights operated by the Indian air companies."

The ICCR, a government agency under the Ministry of External Affairs, had made the request to Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on 23 December, at a meeting at the ICCR headquarters. Musicians including Anu Malik and Wasifuddin Dagar were in attendance at the meet.

ICCR President Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe on Tuesday tweeted, "Commitment and Responsiveness are the parents of prompt action! Happy to share that having heard the plea of ICCR and music fraternity MoCa led by Jyotiraditya Scindia has issued an advisory on playing Indian music in aeroplanes and also in airport premises! Thx Narendra Modi ji!"