Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat joined the inauguration of the new terminal building at NAMO Airport, Daman, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally unveiled the facility on Friday, June 5, 2026. The event marks a significant infrastructure milestone for the coastal Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Context

Minister Shekhawat shared a live broadcast of the event on social media, noting that PM Modi was inaugurating the NAMO Airport New Terminal Building in Daman. The inauguration underscores the central government's continued push to upgrade aviation infrastructure in smaller union territories and tier-2 destinations. Daman, a coastal town with a growing tourism profile, stands to benefit directly from improved air connectivity.

Policy Backdrop

The development of the Daman terminal fits within the broader framework of the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, launched in 2016, which targets regional air connectivity for underserved airports across India, including those in union territories. The administrative merger of Daman and Diu with Dadra and Nagar Haveli into a single Union Territory in 2020 was itself designed to streamline and accelerate such development projects. Airport upgrades in the UT have since been aligned with national tourism and economic integration goals.

Successive central governments have pursued a pattern of combining new terminal construction with high-visibility inaugurations by the Prime Minister, signalling direct federal investment in smaller destinations. The renaming and redevelopment of the airport at Daman continues that tradition.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the new terminal are the residents of Daman and the region's tourism and hospitality sector, which has long relied on road connectivity from Mumbai and Surat due to limited air access. Regional airlines operating under the UDAN framework are expected to be among the first to expand or launch services from the upgraded facility. The improved infrastructure is also likely to attract investment in the UT's hospitality segment, directly relevant to Minister Shekhawat's tourism portfolio.

As Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shekhawat's presence at the inauguration signals that the government views the terminal upgrade as a lever for boosting tourist footfall to Daman's beaches and heritage sites. The UT administration and local business communities have been advocating for better connectivity to reduce dependence on surface transport.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the operationalisation of new air routes and any increase in passenger capacity enabled by the new terminal. Linked tourism promotion schemes for the UT — potentially under the Swadesh Darshan or related central programmes — may follow the inauguration. The government is expected to announce route expansions under the UDAN scheme that leverage the upgraded facility, with regional carriers likely to file for new slots in the coming weeks.