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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

NMIA set for commercial take-off on December 25

Long-term expansion plans take shape Mumbai: Even as long-term expansion plans gather momentum, Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is preparing to mark a defining milestone with the commencement of commercial operations from December 25, 2025. Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the first flight is scheduled to land at NMIA at around 8.30 am from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo. The same aircraft will subsequently depart for Delhi, symbolically placing the greenfield...

NMIA set for commercial take-off on December 25

Long-term expansion plans take shape Mumbai: Even as long-term expansion plans gather momentum, Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is preparing to mark a defining milestone with the commencement of commercial operations from December 25, 2025. Sources familiar with the development confirmed that the first flight is scheduled to land at NMIA at around 8.30 am from Bengaluru, operated by IndiGo. The same aircraft will subsequently depart for Delhi, symbolically placing the greenfield airport on India’s aviation map and formally integrating it into the country’s busiest air corridors. This operational launch comes at a time when the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), the project’s nodal planning authority, has initiated the process to appoint a consultant for conducting a geotechnical feasibility study for a proposed third runway at NMIA. The parallel movement of near-term operational readiness and long-term capacity planning underlines the strategic importance of the airport, not just as a secondary facility to Mumbai, but as a future aviation hub in its own right. The December 25 launch date carries significance beyond symbolism. NMIA has been envisioned for over two decades as a critical solution to the capacity constraints at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), which operates close to saturation. With limited scope for further expansion at Mumbai’s existing airport, NMIA’s entry into operations is expected to ease congestion, rationalise flight schedules and improve overall passenger experience across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Modest Operations Initial operations are expected to be modest, focusing on select domestic routes, with Bengaluru and Delhi being logical starting points given their high passenger volumes and strong business connectivity with Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Aviation experts note that starting with trunk routes allows operators and airport systems to stabilise operations, fine-tune processes and gradually scale up capacity. IndiGo’s choice as the first operator also reflects the airline’s dominant market share and its strategy of early-mover advantage at new airports. While NMIA’s first phase includes two runways, the initiation of a geotechnical feasibility study for a third runway highlights planners’ expectations of robust long-term demand. CIDCO’s move to appoint a consultant at this early stage suggests that authorities are keen to future-proof the airport, learning from the capacity limitations faced by CSMIA. A third runway, if found technically and environmentally feasible, would significantly enhance NMIA’s ability to handle peak-hour traffic, support parallel operations and attract international long-haul flights over time. The feasibility study will play a critical role in determining soil conditions, land stability, construction challenges and environmental sensitivities, particularly given Navi Mumbai’s complex terrain and proximity to mangroves and water bodies. Experts point out that such studies are essential to avoid cost overruns and execution delays, which have historically plagued large infrastructure projects in the region. From an economic perspective, the operationalisation of NMIA is expected to act as a catalyst for growth across Navi Mumbai and adjoining regions. Improved air connectivity is likely to boost commercial real estate, logistics parks, hospitality and tourism, while also strengthening the case for ancillary infrastructure such as metro lines, road corridors and airport-linked business districts. The timing of the airport’s opening also aligns with broader infrastructure upgrades underway in the MMR, including new highways and rail connectivity, which could amplify NMIA’s impact. However, challenges remain. Smooth coordination between airlines, ground handling agencies, security forces and air traffic control will be critical during the initial phase. Any operational hiccups could affect public perception of the new airport, making the first few weeks crucial. Additionally, the transition of flights from CSMIA to NMIA will need careful calibration to ensure passenger convenience and airline viability. As NMIA prepares to welcome its first aircraft on December 25, the simultaneous push towards planning a third runway signals a clear message: the airport is not just opening for today’s needs, but is being positioned to serve the region’s aviation demands for decades to come.

Upskilling Is the New Job Security

As the corporate middle thins, the message on the wall is clear - upgrade or exit.

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Instagram, last month, started looking like a comic strip that many of us enjoy reading in the newspapers every day - because almost every other person’s feed had photographs reimagined as hand-drawn caricature-like images. It’s the Ghibli-style, I was told a day before Instagram feeds flashed it. My tech-savvy, 30-something cousin, working on the programming at an OTT leader, had excitedly filled me with what the virtual world was up to. We opened ChatGPT on his phone app and started feeding in everything from family portraits to work data, only to see magic being created within seconds. Maybe a little unethical. With a string of instructions, we got a ‘Shah Rukh Khan-like’ person to endorse a whiskey brand, saw AI-created birds-eye views of the Empire State Building and created dreamy holiday pictures, all through our imagination running wild. And tech being our able companion. Family WhatsApp groups suddenly started buzzing with colour, activity, remarks and repartees. “Who needs to know this nonsense,” grumbled a 44-year-old in the otherwise excited messaging exchange. “We all do,” a younger member remarked. “If we don’t keep abreast of the latest happenings, we will be left behind and forgotten,” he quipped. The statement paused the fun and reality hit hard. Upgrade and upskill or then, be redundant.


That’s what entrepreneur Shantanu Deshpande said a few days ago, making news with his bold and blunt statement. The founder and CEO of the Bombay Shaving Company, made news when he wrote that professionals in their 40s are the hardest hit when companies opt for mass downsizing. While the forties are being hailed as the ‘new twenties’, just as 60-year-olds are urged to feel and live like those two decades younger, this decade of one’s life doesn’t seem to hold good for those in corporate jobs.


In an age of fleeting tenures and revolving doors, the most vulnerable rung in the corporate ladder might also be the most enviable on paper: professionals in their forties, flush with experience and the salaries to match. These are the ‘high earners’, a cohort perched at the top of the compensation pyramid; yet paradoxically, they are also the easiest to let go. They arrive with polish and pedigree, but often, in a season of cost-cutting, they are the first to be shown the door.


The timing could not be worse. In this season of life, expenses multiply with an unrelenting rhythm - be it in form of children’s education which demands ever-larger cheques, elderly parents requiring growing care and aspirations for a better lifestyle which manifest in mortgages, car loans and spiraling credit card bills. To be well-paid and mid-career today is to balance on a high wire without the reassurance of a safety net.


This quiet crisis is increasingly visible, and not just in whispers behind office doors. At Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, one of India’s pharmaceutical giants, a chill ran down the corridors when the company announced a 25 percent reduction in its workforce, targeting, with remarkable precision, employees earning more than one crore rupees annually. In March alone, news reports suggest the tech industry shed over 8,500 jobs globally, casualties of shifting corporate strategies, stubborn inflation, and the long shadows cast by geopolitical tumult.


Though few companies explicitly say so, the pattern is unmistakable: it is the senior and mid-senior executives - the ones once thought indispensable - who are now becoming expendable. Experience, it seems, no longer guarantees security. Instead, it has become a line item, ripe for erasure in the next earnings report.


Why is the 40 or 50-something professional the easiest to let go? Tech disruption is a major factor here apart from cost-cutting and downsizing. Automation, AI and digital transformation are changing how companies are run and therefore, mid-career roles need an upgrade. A workforce that’s in its late forties or fifties isn’t entirely tech savvy and perhaps hesitant to embrace the changes that automation brings in. As Deshpande analyses, and is for all to see, younger professionals are more malleable, learn new tech faster and come for smaller paychecks. Upskill, save and develop an entrepreneurial mindset, he advises. A sudden layoff shouldn’t hit you too hard.


Upskilling is essential and being abreast of tech developments is non-negotiable. The all-pervasive technology is in all professions: if doctors are relying on AI algorithms to analyse medical images and patient data to identify patterns and anomalies, media professionals cannot be content with keying in stories without a digital presence to boost their stature. Teachers are taking to smartboards and agricultural output is being enhanced by artificial intelligence. In such times, it’s essential that we upgrade and upskill. Jobs aren’t secured by the designation or duration. Employees and entrepreneurs need to be adaptable, flexible and growth-driven. An online course or a weekends-module in new areas of skills are job savers.


The year 2025 isn’t a time to be passive. It’s a year to upgrade and upskill and become relevant. While a Ghibli-style may not improve our tech skills, it’s still a reminder that we must embrace tech and yet, tread cautiously.

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