Dear Fellow Stakeholder,
It gives me immense pleasure to welcome you all to the 28th Annual
General Meeting of the Company.
India today, under the able leadership of our Honorable Prime
Minister Shri Narendra Modi, is undertaking a transformational journey towards being a
technologically advanced, environmentally conscious, industrially self- reliant,
economically prosperous and a geopolitically benevolent developed nation. We are well on
our way to becoming the third largest economy in the world.
Talking about the transformation potential of Indian economy, our
Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recently said "Today, India has become
the passenger without whom global flights cannot even think of taking off. In the next 5
years, India will become the pilot who will steer global flights to new heights.
The next 5 years will witness unprecedented transformation, growth,
expansion, prosperity".
The increasing size of our economy and the firm and independent policy
adopted by our government has led to an increase in our geo-political significance. India
with its history of non-alignment, has become the voice for global South calling for
developing nations to work together towards a prosperous future, while ensuring that their
voices are heard, and concerns addressed. Your company has been playing a pivotal role in
establishing a robust aviation infrastructure in the global south. First off, I would like
to congratulate all of you on the successful completion of the restructuring of your
company.
As you are aware, in 2020 we had entered strategic partnership with
Paris based Groupe ADP to create a world-class airport platform, whereby Groupe ADP had
purchased 49% stake in GMR Airports Limited (GAL), a subsidiary of GIL.
At the first instance, we announced and completed the demerger of GMR
Power and Urban Infra Limited (GPUIL) from GIL in January 2022. Effectively, GIL became the
first listed airport company in the country.
With an objective to enhance shareholder value by simplifying the
corporate structure and bringing public shareholders closer to the airport assets, GMR
announced the execution of the Agreement and Scheme of Merger of GAL with GIL. As part of
the process, GIL and Groupe ADP settled the cash earnouts to GIL at INR 550 Cr and the
equity earnouts to GIL whereby GIL increased its shareholding in GAL from 51% to 55%. GIL
raised ~EUR 331 mn (~INR 2,900 Cr) from Groupe ADP through FCCBs due in 2033 and used the
proceeds to reduce various liabilities, direct and contingent, in order to strengthen the
balance sheet of GIL. The said Scheme, post statutory clearances from SEBI, RBI, CCI,
lenders, shareholders etc., was filed with the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal
(NCLT),
The Hon'ble NCLT vide its Order dated June 11, 2024 approved the merger
of GAL and GMR Infra Developers Limited (GIDL) into GIL, in terms of a Composite Scheme of
Amalgamation and Arrangement. The Scheme became effective July 25, 2024, as per which GAL
and GIDL stand merged into GIL with an appointed date of April 01, 2023.
Immediately upon completion of the merger, GMR Group remains the single
largest shareholder of GIL, with GMR Group owning 33.8%, Groupe ADP holding 32.3% and
public holding 33.9% respectively of the paid-up equity share capital. I would like to
thank the leadership and the management of our partners Groupe ADP for their support
through this entire journey. They have now also been designated as co-promoters of your
Company.
Post issuance of ordinary Equity shares to ADP along with the recent
conversion of FCCBs, originally issued to Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA FCCB), GIL
now has 10,55,89,75,952 paid-up equity shares and market capital at current share price of
more than INR 1 lakh Crore, taking us amongst the Top 100 Listed Companies of India (as of
July 31, 2024).
This journey of the past few years has now positioned us extremely well
to target the emerging opportunity for the airport sector in India. During this period, we
have not only overcome the covid related challenges but have emerged even stronger. We
have largely completed the expansion at Delhi and Hyderabad airports and are ready for the
expected growth in these cities in the coming years. We have commissioned the new Manohar
International Airport at Goa and are progressing well in the construction of new airports
at Crete, Greece and Bhogapuram. We have rationalized our portfolio with the sale of stake
at Cebu, Philippines, while at the same time added to our portfolio by winning and taking
over operations at Medan, Indonesia.
During this period, we have also begun the execution of our adjacency
strategy, and have built capability and businesses relating to Retail, Duty Free, F&B,
Cargo, Car Park, O&M and PMC services. With these Aero services, we have become a very
strong Airport Platform business with unique credentials across greenfield, brownfield and
adjacency businesses.
We have ensured that we keep our focus on digitalization, both for
airport operations as well as for corporate effectiveness. While we bring AI based
solutions within our framework, we have a very active program on cyber security. In
addition, we are taking steps across many areas to ensure that we work towards a
sustainable future.
Our track record in India and other parts of Asia is exceptional, and
we are strongly positioned to tap into emerging opportunities in these fastest growing
markets of the world.
During FY24, we have overcome the last remaining vestiges of the
pandemic, and the global economic scenario is looking broadly stable and even in some
cases upbeat. ies including US and parts of EU have been better than anticipated despite
high interest rates. India of course remains the best performing large economy.
India's economic rise has initiated an interesting phenomenon for the
travel and tourism industry. With rise in disposable incomes and a growing aspirational
middle class, domestic as well as foreign tourism has boomed. According to a recent study,
as of March 2024, domestic travel surged by 21% and international travel by 4% as compared
to 2019. To name a few destinations, Indian passenger arrivals surged by 53% in Japan,
248% in Vietnam and 59% in USA compared to 2019. The key message we take from this is that
Indians are travelling more, and that the India travel story has begun, which will only
grow at a much faster pace in coming years. I must also mention that this growth is coming
despite a number of headwinds, including challenges with Visas for many popular
destinations, and much higher ticket pricing, as airlines maximize profitability while
grappling with supply side issues relating to new aircraft delivery delays and engine
maintenance requirements. Even in terms of destinations, direct China routes are yet to be
opened, and the current growth achievements must be seen in this context.
While this gives an overall good outlook for the Indian travel and
tourism sector, it works especially in interest of your company, which has among the
largest and suitably located airport assets in India.
Our operational assets including airports in Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa
together handle more than one-fourth of India's domestic and more than one-third of
India's international traffic. We are also cognizant, that we need to be ready to cater to
the expected rapid growth in air traffic in India.
In this direction, a few years ago we had taken up major expansion
projects at our Delhi and Hyderabad airports. With these projects substantially completed,
passenger handling capacity at Delhi International airport will stand at 100mn passengers
per year, while Hyderabad International airport capacity will be enhanced to 34mn
passengers per year. Accordingly, our airports are well poised to capture the growth of
traffic in the coming years.
You would recall that we commissioned the Manohar International Airport
project at Mopa, Goa on December 7, 2022. The airport commenced domestic operations on
January 5, 2023, while the international operations began on July 21, 2023. During its
first full year of operations, i.e. FY24, the airport handled 4.4 Mn passengers. We are
already expanding the terminal capacity from the existing 4.4 MPPA to 7.7 MPPA, of which
~90% physical works have already been completed.
On the Bhogapuram front, construction works started in December 2023. I
am pleased to inform you that construction is in progress at a fast pace, and we have
already achieved ~30% physical works by June 2024. Currently, construction works are in
full swing at multiple locations of the project including Runway, Airside, Taxiway,
Airside Buildings, Boundary Walls etc. The expected date of commencement of commercial
operation is December 2026.
With commencement of construction at Bhogapuram airport, we have taken
our partnership with National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) a step further.
NIIF has already invested INR 631 Cr in GMR Goa International Airport Limited in the form
of Compulsory Convertible Debentures (CCD). In continuation with this partnership, NIIF
has also committed INR 675 crores in the form of CCDs towards the development of our
Bhogapuram Airport. INR 395 crores have already been received from NIIF in this regard.
On the international front, at our Kualanamu International Airport in
Medan, Indonesia, traffic has been recovering steadily. During CY2023 traffic was recorded
at ~7.4mn and is nearing the pre-COVID level of ~8.1mn in CY2019.
At our Crete Airport in Greece, construction works are progressing
well, and the project is expected to be commissioned by February, 2027.
On an overall basis, GIL operated airports, during FY24, handled a
total of approximately 121mn as compared to 100mn passengers during FY23 (Including
passengers handled at Delhi, Hyderabad, Mopa, CEBU and Medan airports).
While we expand our footprint across India and other geographies, we
continue to ensure and strive for operational excellence at all our airport assets. Both
Delhi International Airport & Hyderabad International Airport continue to maintain an
ASQ (service quality rating) of 5.00. Further, Delhi International Airport improved its
Global Skytrax airport ranking to 36th in the world, while Hyderabad improved its ranking
to 61st. MOPA airport was also included in the top 100 in the list at a rank of 92.
Now that we have successfully come out of the pandemic challenge and
the macro- economic fundamentals and sector prospects look robust, it was also necessary
to strengthen your company's liquidity situation to be ready to capitalize on future
growth opportunities. At GIL level, before the merger, all corporate loans were paid off
and contingent liabilities also reduced substantially. At a GAL level, we raised INR 5,000
Cr in 3 tranches in the form of senior unsecured bonds. These funds were used to refinance
existing debt, equity investment in Bhogapuram airport project, finance the buy-out of 11%
MAHB stake in GHIAL and to maintain additional liquidity for investment in new airport
projects. As such, the combined balance sheet of the Company is in a strong position to
support anticipated growth.
At asset level, DIAL raised a total of INR 2,744 Cr by issuance of
listed NCDs to fund the ongoing expansion. Similarly, GHIAL raised INR 540 Cr by issuance
of 10 year NCDs in March, 2024 to refinance maturing bonds.
GVIAL achieved financial closure for INR 3,215 Cr from a consortium of
5 lenders in November, 2023. At GGIAL, post commissioning of the project, INR 2,475 Cr was
raised in the form of NCDs in November, 2023 to refinance debt at lower interest rate and
fund FY25 planned capex.
While your company has made above mentioned major strides towards both
organic and inorganic expansion in terms of passenger handling capacity in geographies
both within and outside India, a very critical part of your company's future growth
strategy is the Airport Adjacencies business. Building on our vast experience in the
airport development sector, your company identified key strategic business segments for
GMR Airports to grow in adjacencies business, including Duty-Free, Retail, Food &
Beverage (F&B), Cargo, Carpark, Operations & Maintenance (O&M) services and
EPC / PMC business. While our initial priority would be to target opportunities within the
GMR portfolio, we would also evaluate opportunities in these segments across various
geographies. We have created a richly experienced team to drive our vision for airport
adjacencies and have already won concessions and have started some of the operations at
both Goa and Hyderabad airports. In this process, we have also created a joint venture
company - GMR Hospitality Limited with Travel Food Services (TFS) to capture F&B
concession opportunities at various airports.
The other critical area for strategic focus is Airport Land Development
(ALD). While during the past few years we have concentrated on airport land monetization
via leasing of land, during FY23 and FY24 various self-development initiatives including
office spaces, terminal hotel, retail spaces etc. have been taken up. As part of our
strategy, we are moving up the real estate value chain and aim to create greater value
from the precious land banks we control. This will help us in maximizing the monetization
potential of our airport land parcels and also contribute towards improving the quality
and turnaround times for our development projects as we continue to expand our portfolio
of projects.
While the year was very positive for your company, we remain cognizant
of the headwinds, which may be originating from the global economic and geo-political
climate or sector specific complexities.
Post pandemic, global economies have exhibited some resilience
performing better than expected. However, geo-political conflicts including Russia -
Ukraine and Israel - Palestine (Hamas) continue to keep the world on edge. While these
conflicts rage, the risk of escalation and spilling over to other geographies continues.
From a global economic perspective, these conflicts have an impact on global supply
chains, reshuffling of global partnerships and as the world fragments around the
conflicting parties, these issues pose a threat to globalization.
However, the inflation shock from these conflicts, especially Russia -
Ukraine which impacted mainly energy, wheat and fertilizer prices has since been
corrected, as nations readjusted their demand supply dynamics by changing their trade
partners. As a result, energy prices are now in saner territory. Overall, inflation, which
had remained very high during 2022-23 has since normalized.
This scenario has ignited the hope for rate cuts by central banks
across the world, albeit in a very calibrated manner.
It is however worth noting that amid all the global economic and
geo-political turmoil, India has emerged stronger. After the initial period of the
pandemic,
India ensured that its economy was not shut, and combined with the
availability of vaccines and the urgent roll out of the same across India, the India
economy opened much faster than its peers and also demonstrated strong resilience. This
was further supported by Government spending on infrastructure supported by welfare
measures via direct benefit transfers.
Further, the recent accelerated pace of economic reforms of the last
few years in the domains of fiscal, digital and physical infrastructure, has positioned
India for higher and sustainable growth. India just finished conducting its general
elections and the incumbent coalition of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been
voted back into power. The Government is expected to continue with its economic reforms
and development linked agenda, which should augur well for India's economic growth in
years to come.
India's GDP grew at a rate of 8.2% during FY24 making it the world's
fastest growing large economy. As per IMF, India's GDP is expected to grow by 7% in FY25.
Despite such high growth rate, India has been able to tame its inflation numbers. India's
forex reserves increased substantially to an all-time high of USD 653 Bn by June, 2024.
Indian rupee has also remained relatively stable during the period, when compared to other
global currencies. Further, Indian government has maintained fiscal discipline and
continues to rein in fiscal deficit.
While prospects of Indian economy remain robust, the civil aviation
sector is also poised for strong long-term growth. The sector has had its ups and downs in
FY24.
On the upside, traffic in India and various major economies has
recovered to or crossed the pre- pandemic levels. On the downside however, geo-political
conflicts have had some negative impact on aviation sector in terms of ban of some
airlines over specific airspace, fall in tourist traffic from countries like Russia,
Israel etc. Passenger flights between India and China are yet to resume. Another major
challenge being faced by the sector is shortage of fleet. Like in many other countries,
the grounding of various aircraft due to engine issues has been a major challenge and has
also resulted in the bankruptcy filing by Go First airlines. The situation has led to
higher airfares and airlines operating at very high load factors. In anticipation of
future traffic growth, major airlines in India, including Indigo and Air India, have
placed huge orders for both narrow body and wide body aircrafts from both Airbus and
Boeing. Thus, future traffic growth would depend among other factors, on aircraft
manufacturer's ability to fulfil orders in a timely manner.
Despite these challenges, long term aviation growth story in India
remains attractive. As per Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Domestic passengers in India
is expected to surge to 300 million departures annually by 2030 from 153 million in 2023.
Further, with huge order book, Indian commercial Fleet size expected to grow from current
713 aircrafts to 1,500-2,000 by 2030.
As India's largest airport developer, your company is an essential part
of this aviation growth story and is best positioned to tap into this growth and create
further value for its stakeholders.
Further, as part of the strategy for building a strong and resilient
airport platform, we continue to have a strong focus on digitalization initiatives to
enhance passenger experience, and ESG initiatives to provide for sustainable development.
Focus on Digitalization & Innovation
Highlighting the relevance of efficient digital systems and emphasizing
on the importance of inclusion of technology in India's growth, our Honorable Prime
Minster said, " In the midst of fourth industrial revolution with digital technology
at its core, I am confident that India will make remarkable strides".
Taking an inspiration from our Honorable Prime Minister's focus on
inclusion of technology and the government's drive towards innovation, your Company
recognizes the need for digital transformation & innovation in all aspects of business
and customer engagement and believes that in the current context companies need to
continuously innovate to grow ahead or they will perish. Technology is revolutionizing our
lives, and with exponential advancement, disruptions are bound to happen. We are entering
into an era of infinite possibilities, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is augmenting
human capabilities.
To succeed in this dynamic social, economic, and political environment,
we must stay ahead of the curve.
In line with our business focus, we have been driving several digital
initiatives to enhance business prospects through superior customer experiences, revenue
enhancement, cost reduction opportunities, and agile, efficient internal processes.
One of the major initiatives at our airports is the transition from
AOCC (Airport Operation Control Center) to APOC (Airport Operations Center). APOC is an
integrated operation management system designed to streamline passenger handling and
improve airport turnaround times using state-of- the-art AI-enabled predictive and
prescriptive analytics tools. APOC will enhance coordination and data sharing among key
stakeholders, including airlines, ground handlers, and government agencies, ultimately
improving the passenger experience.
Additionally, we have undertaken several initiatives to enhance
customer experience. The development and deployment of Digi Yatra is a key achievement in
this regard. Digi Yatra is an industry-led digital initiative coordinated by the Ministry
of Civil Aviation in India. Digi Yatra utilizes facial recognition in a secure data
environment to verify passenger identities at various checkpoints, such as check-in,
security, and boarding gates, without the need for physical documents.
Over the past year, we have also implemented a self-service baggage
drop facility and a self- biometric kiosk system integrated with the immigration system to
reduce passenger processing times. Internally, we have introduced a digital cockpit
solution for comprehensive KPI tracking across various assets and business units,
fostering data-driven decision- making and operational efficiency.
Your company leverages advanced AI capabilities to enhance operational
efficiency, drive innovation, and deliver superior customer experiences across its diverse
business verticals. By integrating AI-driven analytics, predictive maintenance, and
intelligent automation, your company optimizes its infrastructure management, ensuring
seamless operations and sustainable growth. Our commitment to adopting cutting- edge AI
technologies reflects a forward-thinking approach, hence positioning your company as a
leader in the infrastructure sector, ready to meet the ever evolving demands of the
future.
We strive to be at the forefront of technological innovations. To
cultivate an innovation culture within our company and facilitate free flow of ideas
between GMR and external ecosystem partners, we founded GMR Innovex, the innovation
vertical of GMR.
GMR Innovex interacts, engages, and collaborates with start-ups,
academic research institutes, ecosystem players, and other companies to develop both
digital and non-digital next-generation solutions. This initiative aims to create multiple
avenues for new revenue streams and thought leadership for the GMR group.
We have also been very vigilant about growing cyber security threats. A
24x7 Integrated Cyber Defense Center (ICDC) has been launched, and we are also ensuring
alignment of third-party cybersecurity with GMR guidelines.
Sustainability
We take great pride in all the assets we have developed as National
Assets of the highest quality, and we have always ensured that we adopt the highest levels
of environmental standards for all our projects. Your company is thus contributing towards
India's target to be a net- zero emission economy by 2070.
Delhi Airport achieved the remarkable feat of being amongst the first
airports in Asia to be certified as Net Zero in line with Airport Council International's
(ACI) Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program's Level 5 requirements. The airport
has managed to achieve the net zero status well before its scheduled target of being Net
Zero by 2030. Hyderabad Airport is also amongst the very few airports in the world to
receive Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACI) Level 4+ for its climate change efforts. This
places GIL firmly on the trajectory to be Net Zero by 2030, in line with ACI requirements.
As part of the Delhi airport expansion project, we recently
commissioned the Eastern Cross Taxiway, an innovative project connecting the Northern and
Southern airfields through an elevated dual-lane taxiway.
This reduces the aircraft travel distance from 9 km to 2 km, saving
approximately 55,000 tCO2 annually. Also, Delhi and Hyderabad Airport have achieved a
significant milestone by transitioning entirely to clean electricity. Together our three
operational Indian airports saved over 150,000 tCO2 by switching to clean energy. In
addition, GIL is transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) for internal use and installing
EV charging infrastructure for stakeholders, including taxi and airline operators, to
support broader EV adoption.
In terms of fostering bio-diversity, Delhi and Hyderabad airports
maintain a green cover of 815 acres thus providing a habitat for indigenous plant species.
Further, from a longer-term sustainability perspective, GMR Airports
has also been working with Groupe ADP and other consortium partners to conduct a joint
study on Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and their potential in India.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
CSR has been at the core of the GMR Group ethos since inception, and
thus we have been doing path breaking work on the CSR front on healthcare, education,
sanitation and livelihoods for more than 30 years now.
Your Company has continued this tradition of caring for the communities
and stakeholders as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility program through GMR
Varalakshmi Foundation (GMRVF), an associate of the Company. Currently, GMRVF is working
with selected communities in about 20 locations in India.
Foundation partnered with about 100 government schools to ensure about
17,000 children get quality academic support. Foundation supported 283 Gifted Children
from under-privileged families for getting quality education.
The Gifted Children Scheme seeks to identify, encourage and financially
support the education of meritorious under-privileged children from GMRVF's target
communities to enable them to realize their full potential. The scheme supports the
selected students from Std. I till their first job and seeks to impact poor and
meritorious children by not only taking care of tuition fees but also for books,
transportation, tuition classes, health and nutrition support etc. More than 50 government
school students supported by Foundation qualified for National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
or admission in state run Gurukul schools.
GMRIT (GMR Institute of Technology) continues to be among the top 50
colleges in the country and the top 5 in the State of Andhra Pradesh, as per rankings
given by various education magazines.
GMR Varalakshmi CARE hospital, Rajam initiated digitalization in OP
Consultation, IP Medical Records. With regard to the footfalls, the hospital served 88,869
outpatients and 8,457 inpatients during 2023-24.
GMRVF runs 4 Mobile Medical Units and 4 Medical clinics offering
healthcare services to the needy people. 4 Nutrition Centers are being operated in
different locations offering nutrition and healthcare services to pregnant and lactating
women. An Early Intervention Center at Shamshabad is offering multiple services to
children with disabilities. Two elderly Care and Multi-activity centers at Delhi are
providing physiotherapy and other needy services for elderly. Multiple health camps and
health awareness programs were conducted in association with reputed hospitals and
resource agencies.
Vocational training centers of GMRVF trained over 7,300 youth during
the year. GMRVF has signed an MoU with TOMCOM (Telangana Overseas Manpower Company) for
training and placement for overseas jobs. As part of the partnership, the first batch of
hotel management training for jobs in Japan was started at GMRVF's Skill Training Center
in Hyderabad. Partnerships were made with government institutions such as
NABARD and KVIC for providing skill training programs in different
centers. A Millet Snacks Making Unit was established under EMPOWER program at Shamshabad.
In line with the Group's value of Social Responsibility, initiatives
such as "Hundi" for daily donations, Giving Wheel of Fortune etc. were launched
during the year to promote Individual Social Responsibility of employees.
For its exemplary work in CSR, GMR Varalakshmi Foundation received
'Vishwakarma Award for Social Development and Impact" from Construction Industry
Development Council.
Governance
Over the years, your company has built a robust Governance framework,
starting right from the top with a well-structured Family Governance model. In addition to
focusing on financial and operational performance, we are equally committed to maintaining
strong corporate governance practices and ethical behavior across every business in the
GMR Group. Our reputation as an ethical and trustworthy Company is our most important
asset.
We believe that consistently focusing on good governance and applying
the highest ethical practices in all our activities enables us to uphold the trust of our
stakeholders.
Our companies are built around the Group's seven Values and Beliefs
which are the embodiment of every aspect of what we do. These are Humility,
Entrepreneurship, Deliver the Promise, Learning & Inner Excellence, Teamwork &
Respect for Individual, Social Responsibility and Frugality - Financial Prudence.
To ensure transparency in transactions across all Group companies and
subsidiaries, we conduct regular and structured assessments by the internal audit teams,
review through an external agency and review by the Audit Committee and the eminent
members of our Board of Directors.
LOOKING AHEAD
Looking ahead for FY 2024- 25, we do expect the business environment in
India to improve, especially with respect to inflation and interest rates.
Over the last year, inflation has normalized, not only in India but
other major economies as well.
This has given rise to expectations that the US central bank may start
cutting interest rates and RBI and other central banks are likely to follow suit. Going
forward, private sector spending is expected to supplement government spending led growth
taking India to a steeper growth trajectory. This coupled with various policy reforms and
economic initiatives will spur India to become the world's third largest economy in the
next few years.
As outlined earlier, we do have strong confidence that India's aviation
sector will grow at a tremendous pace over the medium to long term backed by our
increasing economic growth and travel spending. As per the Economic Survey 2023-24, the
Indian civil aviation sector has an enormous growth potential. This potential is backed by
increased economic activity, tourism, larger disposable incomes, and greater penetration
of aviation infrastructure in addition to progressive government policies like the
Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS UDAN) and push towards development of airport hubs. The
Economic Survey also highlights India's potential for a great MRO industry. The demand for
aircraft in India is projected to increase to more than 2,200 aircraft by 2042. Aircraft
leasing through the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Gujarat International
Finance Tec- City (GIFT City) has yielded promising results with more than 28 aircraft
lessors registered, who have leased more than 20 aircraft and 49 aircraft engines in
total. Further, since 2014, the number of airports in the country has more than doubled.
Going forward, there is a need to expand and upgrade existing airports and add new ones.
This macro growth outlook will be complemented by expansion of our airlines especially Air
India and Indigo. The two airlines are in much better financial health and have a massive
order book of upcoming aircrafts, which will help them capitalize on India's aviation
growth story.
The global aviation industry is experiencing unprecedented growth,
especially in emerging markets across the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe,
Africa, South Asia, and
Southeast Asia. These regions offer ample opportunities for
airports and related businesses, driven by increasing air travel demand, economic growth,
and strategic geopolitical significance.
At GMR Airports, while we see a long runway of growth on our existing
assets which have long concession periods still left, we have strategized to capitalize on
these external opportunities as part of our business development efforts to enter new
markets.
In alignment with our broader strategy for the airport business, we
recognize the significant potential within the sector. With the combined expertise and
reach of GMR and Groupe ADP, we are strategically positioned to expand our airport
business both internationally and domestically.
As part of our growth strategy, we are actively seeking to add airport
concessions to our portfolio in India and overseas. Further, your Company will continue to
actively pursue new airport concession opportunities in India, Southeast Asia, Central
Asia, Middle East, Eastern and Central Europe and Africa. In addition to concessions, we
are also scouting for asset light O&M opportunities along with opportunities in the
area of airport adjacencies.
With corporate restructuring complete and liquidity position shored up
over the past year, we are confident that your Company is well positioned to scale up,
given our vast experience of operating large airports in India and abroad.
To conclude, I would like to take this opportunity to express my
gratitude towards our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders for their confidence and
trust in the GMR Group. I thank the Government of India, all concerned State Governments,
Ministry of Civil Aviation, Airports Authority of India and other concerned government
agencies for providing a conducive environment for sector growth. I also thank the
leadership team of GMR Group for providing guidance and navigating the organization
through challenging phases. Last but not the least, my sincere appreciation for all our
employees whose dedication, hard work, sacrifice and continued contribution has enabled
the Group to grow. Coming year holds promise for your Company and we hope that India's
tourism sector along with aviation sector will continue to grow, thus supporting economic
growth of India and generating jobs for Indian youth.
I look forward to your continued support and encouragement in taking
your Company to greater and newer heights in the future.
Thank you again for showing belief and faith in the organization. Given
the faith, it becomes my obligation to take it forward to greater heights and towards a
brighter future.
Stay Safe, Stay Healthy, Thank You,
G M Rao
Chairman, GMR Group