Igniting young minds, elevating India’s skies
India’s 1st Pan-India Olympiad dedicated exclusively to aviation
Why Aviation? Why Now?
India’s Aviation Workforce Crisis
India’s aviation sector stands at a critical juncture. As the world’s third-largest aviation market with exponential growth projections, the nation faces an unprecedented workforce shortage that threatens to undermine its aviation ambitions.
Aviation Market Outlook
+111% Growth2023
USD 12.58B
2030
USD 26.54B
Projected market valuation increase
Projected Demand by 2030
31,000
New Pilots
26,000
Technicians
1.1M+
New Jobs
Generated through Aviation Initiatives
Target Year
2040
NAO addresses this crisis through early engagement, awareness creation, and talent identification — creating India’s first structured school-to-aviation industry pipeline.
Vision & Mission
Vision
To make aviation education accessible, aspirational, and impactful for every Indian student, particularly in rural India
Mission
To establish NAO as India’s premier aviation talent pipeline – empowering students with knowledge, exposure, skills, and opportunities to shape the future of aviation, aerospace, and emerging air mobility technologies while contributing to global aviation excellence
Objectives
Inspiration
Inspire and nurture students through a structured Olympiad, mentorship, and exposure programs.
Career Awareness
Introduce students to 150+ aviation pathways across flying, MRO, aerospace engineering, ATC, airport operations, drones, and space.
Skill Building
Develop foundational competencies in aeronautics, problem-solving, systems thinking, safety, and innovation.
Exposure
Provide students with experiential learning through workshops, airport visits, simulators, hangar tours, and industry interactions.
National Workforce Pipeline
Build a structured feeder system supporting India’s growing need for aviation professionals.
What is NAO?
The National Aviation Olympiad (NAO) is the 1st Pan-India Olympiad dedicated exclusively to aviation for school students in Grades 8–12. Organized by the Centre for Scientific Outreach (CSO) in collaboration with industry and academic partners, NAO aims to introduce young minds to aviation, drones, and sustainability while addressing the skill gap in India’s rapidly expanding aviation industry.
NAO is not just a competition — it is a national capability-building mission that aims to empower every child in India with the possibility of flight.
NAO Strategic Framework
Awareness & Education
- Nation-wide Olympiad exam
- Aviation Learning Modules
- Career Counselling Sessions
- Teacher Orientation Workshops
- Handbooks and Digital Content
- Dedicated YouTube Channel
Skills Development
- Logical reasoning
- Aeronautics Fundamentals
- Situational Judgment
- STEM reinforcement
- Innovation & problem-solving challenges
Industry Exposure
- Airport & ATC tower visits
- MRO Hangar Tours
- Drone Flying Training
- Pilot & Engineer Interactions
- Industry Expert Webinars
Talent Identification & Indexing
- National aviation aptitude ranking system
- NAO Aviation Talent Registry
- Aviation Talent Progression Support
Academic & Industry Collaboration
- Partnerships with educational institutions
- Partnerships with Skill Development bodies
- Partnership with DGCA approved institutes
- Pathway alignment with NSQF, EASA, ICAO competency models
Scholarships & Inclusion
- NAO Scholarship Fund
- Girl-child aviation scholarships
- Support for economically disadvantaged students
Innovation & Research
- Innovation challenges
- Mini Design contests
- Sustainable aviation projects
- AI/Data-driven aviation solutions
Aligned with ICAO’s Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) Framework
NGAP is the global framework. NAO is India’s on-ground implementation mechanism.
NAO is envisioned as India’s flagship youth aviation program, designed to align seamlessly with ICAO’s NGAP framework. Where NGAP sets the global philosophy for addressing aviation workforce shortages across 193 member states, NAO converts it into actionable, grassroots implementation at the school level across India.
| Aspect | ICAO NGAP | NAO |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | Ensure sustainable global supply of qualified aviation professionals | Build early awareness and create a national talent pipeline |
| Scope | Global human capital development framework | National Olympiad-based awareness and selection system |
| Target Audience | University students, early-career professionals, aviation workforce | Students of Classes 8–12 across India |
| Nature | Policy-driven, strategic, long-term workforce planning | Educational, competitive, awareness-oriented with exams, workshops, school engagement |
| Implementation | Led by ICAO with CAAs, international bodies | Led by CSO with ministries, universities, industry |
| Geographic Reach | 193 ICAO member states | 28 States, 8 UTs, 360+ cities across India |
Guided by 100+ Aviation Experts
NAO’s curriculum, examinations, and evaluation are overseen by a structured Expert Committee ensuring academic rigor, industry relevance, and policy alignment consistent with ICAO’s NGAP initiative.
Prof. Gopal M. Kamath
Head, Department of Aerospace Engineering
IIT Kanpur
Kanpur
Wg. Cdr. Prem Kumar Garg (Retd.)
Chief Executive Officer & Accountable Manager
IndiaOne Air
Gandhinagar
Sameep Shastri
Chairman
Indian Institute of Governance and Leadership & BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Delhi
Padma Shri Dr. H. C. Verma
Former Professor
Department of Physics, IIT Kanpur
Kanpur
Padma Shri Anand Kumar
Founder
Super30
Delhi
Dr. Sudhir Mishra
Ex-Director
Brahmos
Delhi
Shri. Apj Saleem Sheikh
Co-Founder
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation
Chennai
Prof. R. K. Pant
HoD
IIT Bombay
Mumbai
Dr. Rakesh Singh
Scientist
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
Delhi
Shri. Vivek Kulkarni
Secretary
AeSI Mumbai
Mumbai
Lt. Gen. Ajay Kumar Suri
AVSM, Former Director General & Colonel Commandant
Army Aviation
Delhi
Dr. Arvind Dixit
Former Scientist
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
Gurgaon
Dr. Murzban Karai
Nuclear Scientist, CEO
Jenrashid Consultants
Mumbai
Capt. Ravinder Sehrawat
Director
Institute for Aviators
Delhi
Shri. R. Rajaram
Director
Sri Eshwar College of Engineering
Coimbatore
Shri. Rajendra Mane
Director
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering, Interglobe Education
Delhi
Shri. Aman Johri
CEO
Jatayu Unmanned Systems
Mumbai
Shri. B. C. Behera
Former Deputy Director General
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Bengaluru
Shri. S. Sathiyamani
Former Senior Technical Director, Scientist
National Informatics Centre (NIC)
Delhi
Shri. Sandeep Bahl
Director
US India Aviation Cooperation Program
Delhi
Shri. Anirrban Bhattacharya
Director
Vector Technorum
New Delhi
Col. K. V. Kuber (Retd.)
Director
Aerospace, Ernst & Young LLP (EY)
New Delhi
Prof. (Dr.) G. S. Bajpai
Vice Chancellor
National Law University Delhi
Delhi
Shri. Gabe Gabriel
Former Engineer
NASA
Florida
Shri. Armel Jezequel
Chief Executive Officer
Aircraft Academy, France
Mauguio
Shri. Rajender Singh Lahauria
Former Director & Consultant
Indian Aviation Academy, DGCA
New Delhi
Shri. Ashwani Sharma
Chairperson
Aeronautical Society of India (Mumbai Chapter)
Mumbai
Shri. Kandiah K Padmanthan
Managing Director
Subang MRO, Malaysia
Subang
Dr. P. V. Venkitakrishnan
Distinguished Scientist
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
Bengaluru
Air Marshal Sukchain Singh (Retd.)
Former Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance
Indian Air Force
Delhi
Prof. M. S. Prasad
Director
Amity Institute of Space Science & Technology, Amity University
Noida
Capt. Sudarshan Pandey
Managing Partner
International Flight Operations Academy, India
Greater Delhi
Wg. Cdr. M Jeyakumar (Retd.)
Founder
nRoot Group & BRIDGE Bharat Council for Promotion of Innovation Research & Entrepreneurship
Thanjavur
Dr. Vijayaraja K
Professor & Head, Department of Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering
KCG College of Technology
Chennai
Capt. Poonam Devrakhyani
Flight Operations Inspector
DGCA India
Chennai
Wg. Cdr. Rachit Bhatnagar (Retd.)
Aerospace & MRO Specialist, Head Business Operations
Farata Technologies Pvt. Ltd
Chandigarh
Capt. Vaibhav Goutham Suresh
Director
Galgotias University - SALTM
Noida
Shri. Linus Benjamin Bauer
Founder & Global Managing Partner
BAA & Partners
Dubai
Shri. Vippan Raj Dutt
Professor of Practice - Aviation Management
UPES
Gurugram
150+ Aviation Career Pathways
NAO introduces students to the full spectrum of aviation careers — from cockpit to ground operations, from aerospace engineering to drone technology, from air traffic control to sustainable aviation fuel research. Through our partner platform www.careerinaviation.com, students can explore detailed career maps across every domain of aviation.
NAO & India @ 2047
NAO is not just a competition — it is a national capability-building mission.
By 2030, NAO aims to:
- Reach 1 crore+ students
- Establish 10 NAO regional hubs
- Provide 10,000+ scholarships
- Become the largest youth aviation movement in Asia
By 2047, NAO aims to contribute to:
- Making India the world’s 3rd-largest aviation market
- Aviation and drone superpower status
- A globally recognised aerospace workforce
- Sustainable aviation leadership
About Centre for Scientific Outreach (CSO)
Centre for Scientific Outreach
The Centre for Scientific Outreach (CSO) is a Not-for-Profit organization dedicated to promoting scientific awareness and education across India. Through NAO, CSO aims to create a sustainable platform for aviation education and career development across India, contributing to India’s position as a global aviation leader.
सा विद्या या विमुक्तये — That is knowledge which liberates.
Be part of India’s largest Aviation Education Movement
