Odisha Cabinet Meeting Outcome: Govt approves Rs 14,182 crore ‘B-MAAN’ scheme to become eastern India’s aviation hub

In a significant move to develop Odisha as an aviation hub in eastern India, the state government on Saturday approved the Building & Management of Aviation Assets and Network (B- MAAN) scheme with an outlay of Rs 14,182 crore.

It is an umbrella initiative of the Odisha government’s Commerce & Transport Department.

Designed to bring all aspects of aviation under one comprehensive framework, the B-MAAN scheme, approved in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today, aims to position Odisha as a leading aviation hub in eastern India under the inclusive vision ‘Aviation for All’.

Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said, “The scheme aims to bring all aspects of aviation under one comprehensive framework. It is expected to position Odisha as a leading aviation hub in eastern India under the inclusive vision ‘Aviation for All’ (Samastanka pai biman seba).”

B-MAAN scheme encompasses integrated components such as –

1. Infrastructure Development & Modernisation: Focus on the development, upgradation, and maintenance of airports and heliports across the State, including Greenfield and Brownfield airports in underserved regions to improve regional access and operational efficiency.
2. Air Connectivity & VGF Support: Provision of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and other incentives to airlines to enhance regional air connectivity, linking tier-II and tier-Ill towns with major cities under UDAN and other schemes.
3. Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Ecosystem: Establishment and operationalisation of world-class MRO facilities at Biju Patnaik International Airport and other strategic locations to create a self-reliant aviation maintenance ecosystem and attract private investment.
4. Emerging Technologies & Innovation: Promotion of futuristic technologies such as drones, seaplanes, e-VTOL aircraft, and aerospace manufacturing, enabling Odisha to stay at the forefront of new-age aviation and green mobility.
5. Cargo & Logistics Development: Strengthening air cargo infrastructure to facilitate agricultural exports, industrial logistics, and time-sensitive trade, ensuring Odisha’s deeper integration with national and global value chains.
6. Capacity Building & Skill Development: Creation of large-scale employment opportunities through aviation-focused skilling, flight training, and specialised programs for technicians, pilots especially girls and ground-handling professionals in partnership with reputed industry partners.
7. Institutional Strengthening: Restructuring and empowerment of the Directorate of Aviation to function as a professional agency for policy planning, coordination, and execution of aviation projects across the State.

Explaining the scheme, the Chief Secretary detailed that the state government, under the program, will provide provisions and other incentives to airlines to enhance regional air connectivity, linking Tier-II and Tier-III towns with major cities under the UDAN and other existing schemes.

The state also intends to establish world-class MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facilities at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar and other strategic locations. This move aims to create a self-reliant aviation maintenance ecosystem and actively attract private investment.

Furthermore, the state will actively promote futuristic technologies such as drones, seaplanes, e-VTOL aircraft, and aerospace manufacturing. This initiative is designed to position Odisha at the forefront of new-age aviation and green mobility, he noted.

The Chief Secretary highlighted that strengthening air cargo infrastructure will be a significant part of the scheme. This is expected to boost agricultural exports, industrial logistics, and time-sensitive trade, thereby ensuring Odisha’s deeper integration with national and global value chains.

The state will create large-scale employment opportunities through aviation-focused skilling, flight training, and specialised programmes for technicians, pilots – especially girls – and ground-handling professionals in partnership with reputed industry partners, he said.

Among other decisions taken by the Odisha Cabinet, the Chief Secretary said the approval of a proposal from the Housing and Urban Development department. Under this, the popular Aahaar scheme (which provides a cheap meal for Rs 5 in urban areas) will now be fully funded from the state budget, moving away from its previous reliance on CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds from industries and the CMRF (Chief Minister Relief Fund).

A new scheme “Aahaai’ has been approved, with an outlay of Rs 512 crore for five years from 2025-26 to 2030-31.

The Cabinet has approved a total of five proposals of four departments, he said.