India wants to build its own passenger plane, the RTA. It's a big, 90-seater designed to take on regional flights. Problem is, this dream comes with some seriously bumpy skies ahead, mostly about money.
See, just getting the RTA off the ground will cost an estimated $2 billion. That's a lot, but an expert says it could get way more expensive! To actually make this plane successful in the long run, India might need to offer up to $15 billion in tax breaks and other goodies to make it appealing to airlines. That's a lot of cash, and naturally, the Indian government is hesitating.
Here's why it's so tough: India used to own its own big airline, Air India. That meant they could promise to buy a bunch of RTA planes to get the project going. But Air India was recently sold, so now India has to rely on private airlines to step up.
And that's where it gets tricky. Airlines don't like spending money unless they're sure something works. Would you want to be the first airline to bet your entire business on a brand-new plane from a company that's never done this before? Plus, even if the plane's amazing, it has to compete internationally with giants like Boeing and Airbus, who have been around forever.
So, the expert suggests a change in plans. Instead of trying to invent a whole new plane, maybe India could convince some of those big plane makers to come set up shop there! India could help build planes we all know and trust, and in the process, learn how it's done.
Building a new passenger plane is a risky business. India's got to figure out if it's worth the gamble, or if there's a smarter way to make its mark on the aviation world.
