Praful Patel: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation

Praful Patel was first elected as a member of the Lok Sabha in 1991 at the age of 34. He was then elected three times consecutively, however, he lost in the 1999 Lok Sabha elections. A businessman-turned minister, he won the Lok Sabha seat from Bhandara-Gondia constituency in Maharashtra.

Issues

India's airlines are burdened with huge losses and rising debt. The sector losses for the fiscal year ended in March 2009 are expected to nearly double from last year to $1.75 billion.

The number of domestic passengers fell by 591,000 or 15.2% year-on-year. A slowing economy has worsened the sector's prospects and it seeks government's intervention for a revival.

What he plans to do

Patel said he would focus on be safety in the skies, building up of more and better infrastructure and strengthening Air India.

He said the government might consider bringing out an initial public offer (IPO) to infuse funds in Air India. The Ministry would be 'pro-active' in ensuring that Air India emerged as a strong carrier both in the domestic and international arena.

He also hinted at more reforms in the sector, including allowing foreign carriers to pick up stake in the domestic airlines.