With the variety of air passengers steadily rising India, transformative applied sciences like biometric-based Digi Yatra, AI-powered digital twins, built-in multi-modal transport programs, and Net Zero, LEED-certified terminals would shape airport experiences, mentioned experts.
They additionally careworn on the necessity to strengthen digital ecosystems to handle rising cybersecurity dangers which has been recognized as a vital space of focus.
“India’s aviation growth presents a dual challenge—securing borders while easing the journey for millions of law-abiding passengers. In Mumbai alone, we clear 22,000–25,000 international travellers daily, averaging 10-minute customs clearance. Our aim is to cut this to 5 minutes,” mentioned Joseph Gouda (IRS), Joint Director, Mumbai Customs whereas talking at a spherical desk dialogue on “Reimagining airport passenger infrastructure through innovation, technology and sustainability” organised forward of the Inter Passenger Terminal Expo 2025 by Media Fusion.
“By adopting AI, ML, RFID, and Advanced Passenger Information systems, we are shifting from manual checks to smarter, targeted interventions. This transformation will make our infrastructure both more secure and passenger-friendly—essential for India’s aviation future,” he added.
Stating that India has remodeled biometric journey with Digi Yatra, the place one’s face turns into one’s boarding go, Nitin Sharma, DVP – Business Development, of world safety group dormakaba, mentioned they had been fixing complicated challenges—like group journey and one-click gate registration—whereas guaranteeing information privateness with computerized purging post-flight.
“Innovations like wider gates to prevent tailgating, now powered by AI and ML, were born from India’s unique needs and are setting global benchmarks. With under 10% of the population currently flying, we are preparing for exponential growth by scaling smart, cost-efficient technologies. India’s rapid pace of innovation is not only enhancing domestic operations but creating airport solutions the world is now adopting,” he mentioned.
On the evolving airport infrastructure improvement within the nation, Geetha Priya G, Senior Director – Infrastructure & Airports, JLL India mentioned there was a necessity to construct infrastructure that was resilient, adaptive and environment friendly.
“Greenfield airports offer the luxury of blank canvas while brownfield sites push us to rethink with constraints for unique, smart and adaptive design solutions. The future lies in modular construction, digital first terminal cores that centralize operations, passenger movement and energy management.”
“Early-stage collaboration is critical—drawing insights from operations, policy shifts, and tech trends helps avoid costly course corrections. We need a terminal design language rooted in sustainability, with built-in readiness for climate volatility, aging demographics, rapid digital changes and hybrid spaces that can handle intensity and downtime with equal ease. Aligning this vision with financial models that attract private investment is key to delivering infrastructure that’s future-ready and locally responsive,” she added.
Published – June 05, 2025 09:12 pm IST
