Kerala's Seaplane service trial run from Kochi to Munnar on Monday
Kochi, Nov 9: Kerala's ambitious seaplane project is set to take flight, with the first seaplane scheduled to land at Bolgatty backwaters here at 2:30 pm on Sunday.
Minister of Tourism PA Muhammad Riyas will flag off the trial of sea plane service from Bolgatty to Mattupetti reservoir near Munnar at 9.30 am on Monday, Transport Secretary(Aviation, Metro and Railways) Biju Prabhakar said here, on Saturday.
A reception will be held for the pilots of the aircraft at the Bolgatty Palace to mark the occasion.
Biju Prabhakar stated that the Seaplane project will transform Kerala's tourism sector, urging stakeholders to fully leverage the opportunities it presents.
"The project aims to create high-value tourism opportunities. Beyond tourism, it has also potential for boosting medical transport, emergency evacuation, and VIP travels sectors. The trial service is intended to demonstrate the project's feasibility to tourism operators and the public," he added.
The seaplane initiative is part of the government’s Regional Connectivity Scheme. It was officially inaugurated on Saturday, at Andhra Pradesh, Prabhakar said.
The amphibious aircraft, which can take off and land on both land and water, has a capacity to carry nine passengers. After arriving from Andhra Pradesh, the seaplane will make a refueling stop at Kochi International Airport before landing at Bolgatty Marina in Kochi at 2:30 pm, he added.
Before the trial, Biju Prabhakar visited the Marina to review security measures and ensure everything was in place for the seaplane's landing.
According to Tourism department officials, seaplanes are amphibious aircraft capable of taking off and landing on both land and water, offering passengers the unique advantage of stunning aerial views through large windows.
Traveling over the scenic landscapes of Munnar and the Western Ghats promises a truly memorable experience for travelers.
One of the key benefits of seaplanes is that they eliminate the high costs associated with building and maintaining traditional airstrips, officers said.
The government is planning to develop a seaplane tourism circuits that will connect major water bodies and airports across Kerala. This includes destinations like Mattupetty in Idukki, Malampuzha in Palakkad, Vembanadu in Alappuzha, Ashtamudikkayal in Kollam, Chandragiripuzha inKasargod, and Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram, they added.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
