The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has revealed plans to launch a next‑generation eGCA 2.0 platform that will incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain and predictive surveillance technologies. The move, disclosed through tender documents reviewed by businessline, signals a major digital transformation of India’s civil aviation regulatory ecosystem.

According to the tender documents, the DGCA is seeking a Technology Project Management Unit (Tech‑PMU) to support the implementation of eGCA 2.0. The new platform is expected to place significant emphasis on emerging technologies, regulatory‑technology solutions, cybersecurity and data‑protection compliance. Industry insiders told businessline that the initiative could enhance the regulator’s ability to undertake data‑driven supervision, automate workflows and identify safety or compliance risks through predictive and intelligence‑based tools.

The documents further describe the proposed system’s focus on application‑framework design, integration planning, risk management, cloud‑hosting strategies, cyber‑security architecture, disaster‑recovery systems, dashboards and analytics capabilities. The platform will also employ decision‑intelligence solutions and predictive surveillance tools to strengthen regulatory oversight and improve the efficiency of aviation‑related approvals and monitoring mechanisms.

Selection of a technology partner will follow an ‘80:20 Quality‑cum‑Cost‑Based Selection’ (QCBS) methodology, with substantial weightage assigned to capabilities in AI, ML, blockchain, regulatory technology, aviation domain expertise, cyber‑security and compliance assurance. The DGCA is seeking specialists with expertise in advanced analytics, cloud computing, natural language processing and digital intelligence as part of the proposed programme‑management structure.

The development comes at a time when India’s aviation sector is experiencing rapid expansion in passenger traffic, fleet induction and airport infrastructure development. The DGCA’s push for a more technology‑driven and scalable regulatory architecture is intended to support the long‑term growth of the civil aviation sector while maintaining safety and compliance standards.

In summary, the DGCA’s eGCA 2.0 initiative is a structured effort to modernise its regulatory framework through the integration of cutting‑edge technologies. The tender documents indicate that the platform will be built with a strong emphasis on data protection, cyber‑security, and predictive analytics. The next steps will involve the selection of a technology partner under the QCBS framework and the establishment of a Tech‑PMU to oversee the project’s execution.

The DGCA has not yet announced a launch date for the new platform, but the tender process is expected to move forward in the coming months. Stakeholders in the aviation industry will be watching closely to see how the platform’s capabilities are deployed and how they impact regulatory processes and safety oversight across India.