Civil Aviation Ministry: Indian music should be played in planes and airports.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, music in India began as a "integral part of socio-religious life," and it has written to Indian airlines and airport operators, urging them to play Indian music onboard aircraft and on airport grounds, citing a request from the Indian Council of Cultural Research (ICCR).

"Music played by most of the airlines across the globe is quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, jazz in American airlines or Mozart in Austrian airlines and Arab music in an airline from the Middle East. But, Indian airlines seldom play Indian music in the flight, whereas, our music has a rich heritage and culture and it is one of the many things every Indian has a reason for (being) truly proud of it," Ministry of Civil Aviation's Joint Secretary Usha Padhee said in a letter marked to airlines and airport operators.

"Ministry of Civil Aviation is in receipt of a request from ICCR on playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites," the order said.

On December 23, the ICCR, an autonomous government of India organization under the Ministry of External Affairs, urged that Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia promote Indian music on Indian airlines' flights.

Rajya Sabha MP and ICCR President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe delivered the letter to Scindia last week. On December 23, Scindia paid a visit to the ICCR headquarters, where he offered a number of recommendations, including the promotion of Indian music on planes.

At the time of passenger boarding and de-boarding, airlines normally play standard piped music in the aircraft. Some airlines even play custom-made brand tunes or songs.

In its letter, ICCR wrote to Scindia: "It is extremely unfortunate that most airlines in India, both private and government owned, as well as both domestic and international, seldom, if at all, play Indian music. Our music mirrors our rich heritage and culture and it is one of the many things every Indian has a reason to be truly proud of".

Anu Malik, Kaushal S Inamdar, Malini Awasthi, Shounak Abhisheki, Manjusha Patil K, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Rita Ganguly, and Wasifuddin Dagar were among the artists and musicians who attended the meeting on December 23 and signed the letter.

In fact, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had encouraged airlines, both state-owned and private, to convey information about independence fighters in their in-flight announcements ahead of India's 75th Independence Day in August this year. In 2019, state-owned Air India painted Mahatma Gandhi's picture on some of its planes to commemorate his 150th birthday.