The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Tuesday issued an advisory asking all airlines and airports operators to consider playing Indian music in their flights and terminal premises.

This comes after several renowned artists, singers and musicians including Kailash Kher, Anu Malik, Malini Awasthi and Sonal Mansingh, under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) has requested Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to make it mandatory that only Indian classical or instrumental music be played in flights being operated in India and at airports in the country to connect people emotionally with the country’s traditions.

In an advisory to Sanjeev Kumar, Chairman,  Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Arun Kumar, Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary of  the Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked to consider playing Indian music in the aircraft being operated in India and at airports following the regulatory requisites. The advisory has been marked to all airlines and airport operators.

ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe also tweeted on Tuesday, “Happy to share that having heard the plea of ICCR and music fraternity, Scindia has issued an advisory on playing Indian in aeroplanes and also in airport premises”.

“Music played by most of the airlines across the globe was in quintessential of the country to which the airline belongs, for example, Jazz in an American airline or Mozart in an Austrian airline 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 has one of the many things every Indian has a reason for truly proud of it," read the advisory.

“ India has a rich diversity of traditional music.  Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms, which include classical music, folk, light vocal, instrumental music, etc, it has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geolocations spanning the sub-continent. Music in India began as an integral part ofsocio-religious life," the advisory read.

The ministry further noted that India has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several geo-locations spanning the sub-continent.

Music in India began as an integral part of the socio-religious life, it noted.

A few years ago, Air India had introduced Indian classical music in some of its long route flights. Pakistan has been doing this since 1970.