India’s 1st paragliding school to open at Bir-Billing on Jan 25

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will inaugurate India’s first paragliding school at Bir-Billing, Himachal Pradesh, on January 25. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department constructed the Rs 8 crore facility three years ago at the globally renowned paragliding site. However, its operation was delayed due to the absence of paragliding regulations, which have now been finalised, paving the way for classes to commence.

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Funded by the Ministry of Tourism in 2015 during Virbhadra Singh’s tenure as Chief Minister, this school will train over 100 youths annually in paragliding. The department has started appointing instructors to ensure high-quality training for aspiring pilots.

During a visit to Bir-Billing in October 2024, CM Sukhu directed the immediate commencement of classes to attract paragliding enthusiasts from India and abroad. Previously, the state lacked official paragliding schools and regulatory guidelines, leading to accidents that claimed the lives of 30 pilots and tourists over the past decade.

In the absence of regulations, several private paragliding schools have operated illegally at Bir-Billing. Gurpreet Singh Dhindsa, a renowned pilot from Punjab, has been running a private school there for 20 years, training hundreds of pilots. Dhindsa emphasised the need for registering private schools to ensure safety and professionalism, stating, “Untrained pilots are often responsible for mishaps, tarnishing the sport’s reputation. We are willing to pay registration fees for proper recognition.”

With the establishment of this government-run institution and the enforcement of paragliding rules, Himachal Pradesh aims to enhance safety standards and further promote Bir-Billing as a hub for adventure sports.