In 2012, a young man working in Singapore got a phone call from home. His father, Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu, had died in a road accident. He had never planned a life in politics.
That young man is Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. He has served as India’s 33rd Minister of Civil Aviation since June 2024. He is a three-time MP from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh and one of the youngest faces in the Union Cabinet.
Who is Ram Mohan Naidu?
Ram Mohan Naidu is a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Member of Parliament from Srikakulam. When he took charge of the ministry, he was the youngest Cabinet Minister in the Modi 3.0 government, succeeding Jyotiraditya Scindia. He is a rare politician with an engineering degree, a business degree and corporate experience abroad.
Quick Facts About Ram Mohan Naidu
| Full Name | Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu |
| Date of Birth | 18 December 1987 |
| Age | 38 years (as of October 2026) |
| Birthplace | Nimmada, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh |
| Party | Telugu Desam Party (TDP) |
| Constituency | Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh |
| Current Post | Union Cabinet Minister of Civil Aviation |
| Father | Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu (late) |
| Mother | Kinjarapu Vijayakumari |
| Wife | Sri Sravya Bandaru |
| Marriage | 14 June 2017 |
| Children | One daughter |
| Education | B.S. Electrical Engineering (Purdue University); MBA (Long Island University) |
| Awards | Sansad Ratna Award (2020) |
His official ministry profile lists his date of birth as 18 December 1987 and his place of birth as Nimmada in Srikakulam.
Early Life & Family
Ram Mohan Naidu is the son of Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu, a member of the Telugu Desam Party, and Kinjarapu Vijayakumari. His father, widely known as Yerran Naidu, was a senior TDP leader and a former Union Minister. He grew up in a household where politics was part of daily life. His father’s career in Srikakulam shaped how he understands local issues.
Education: From Purdue to Long Island
He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University, Indiana, and an MBA from Long Island University, New York. That mix of technical and management training now suits a ministry that deals with airport infrastructure, aircraft leasing, aviation safety and airline policy.
After his studies he worked abroad, which is how he came to be in Singapore when his family’s life changed.
The Accident That Changed Everything
His father’s death in 2012 was the turning point. Ram Mohan Naidu returned to Srikakulam to carry forward the family’s political legacy. He entered active politics in 2012 and became the constituency in-charge in 2013.
Political Career
2014: Youngest-but-one MP. He contested the 2014 general election and won, becoming the second youngest Member of Parliament in the 16th Lok Sabha. He was just 26.
Private member’s bill on a Visakhapatnam railway zone. He introduced a private member’s bill for a railway zone headquartered at Visakhapatnam, which showed his focus on regional development.
UN General Assembly. He spoke on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation at the First Committee of the 72nd UN General Assembly session.
2019 and 2024: Three straight wins. He has been elected to Parliament three times in a row, in 2014, 2019 and 2024.
Committees. Over the past decade he has served on parliamentary committees including Home Affairs, Railways, Rural Development, Public Undertakings, Youth Affairs & Sports, Tourism & Culture, and Agriculture.
Sansad Ratna Award (2020). He received the Sansad Ratna Award in 2020 for his parliamentary performance.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation (2024–Present)
He was sworn in as a Union Cabinet Minister on 9 June 2024. His stated priority was “ease of flying.” He said he wanted air travel to be more approachable and accessible to the common man, with passenger comfort, convenience, safety and security at the core of planning.
Recent Work (2026)
- UDAN extension: In July 2026 he announced that UDAN viability support would be extended to five years.
- Hub & Spoke operations: The ministry launched hub-and-spoke international flight operations from Ahmedabad and, earlier, Amritsar.
- Flying training: He awarded Letters of Intent for 11 new Flying Training Organisations.
- Aircraft leasing: He chaired a High Level Committee on Aircraft Leasing and Financing in September 2026.
- Cargo: He flagged off transshipment cargo operations at Delhi’s IGI Airport.
- Wings India 2026: He said India is the third-largest domestic aviation market and is poised to become the third-largest overall air passenger market.
- West Asia crisis: In May 2026 he urged all sectors, including civil aviation, to prepare for the effects of the international crisis.
Wife & Family Life
Ram Mohan Naidu married Sri Sravya Bandaru on 14 June 2017. Press reports at the time described her as the daughter of a former minister. The couple has a daughter. The family keeps a low public profile, and details about the child are not public.
Strengths & Challenges
Strengths
- Young, technically educated and comfortable with data
- Three consecutive Lok Sabha wins from Srikakulam
- Long parliamentary experience across many committees
- Strong focus on regional connectivity through UDAN
Challenges
- Aviation is a high-pressure portfolio, with safety concerns, airline capacity and fares all under constant scrutiny
- Balancing the interests of his home state, his party’s role in the NDA and national policy
- Delivering regional airport projects on time
Interesting Facts About Ram Mohan Naidu
- He entered politics after his father’s death in 2012.
- He was 26 when he first became an MP.
- He holds an electrical engineering degree from Purdue University.
- He won the Sansad Ratna Award in 2020.
- He has won from Srikakulam in 2014, 2019 and 2024.
FAQs About Ram Mohan Naidu
1. Who is Ram Mohan Naidu?
Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu is the Union Minister of Civil Aviation and a TDP MP from Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh.
2. What is Ram Mohan Naidu’s age?
He was born on 18 December 1987, so he is 38 as of October 2026.
3. Who is Ram Mohan Naidu’s wife?
Sri Sravya Bandaru. They married on 14 June 2017 and have a daughter.
4. Who is Ram Mohan Naidu’s father?
Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu, a senior TDP leader and former Union Minister who died in a road accident in 2012.
5. What is Ram Mohan Naidu’s education?
A B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Long Island University.
6. Which party does Ram Mohan Naidu belong to?
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP), part of the NDA government.
7. Since when has he been Civil Aviation Minister?
Since June 2024, when he took over from Jyotiraditya Scindia.
