You may be able to browse internet on flights in India from August

You may soon be able to access emails at 40,000 feet with the central government likely to give the nod by August-end.

According to a TOI report, international airlines are in talks with the aviation ministry. At present, they have to switch off Wi-Fi in the Indian airspace where inflight internet is banned on security grounds.

"We're awaiting clearance from the Department of Telecommunications," the report quoted Lalit Gupta, joint DG, Directorate General of Civil Aviation, as saying.

Indian carriers like Jet Airways and SpiceJet are slated to take deliveries of the Wi-Fi-fitted Boeing 737 MAX by mid-2018, Gupta added.

Around 70 carriers across the world offer inflight internet, allowing passengers to access email, livestream, social media, download movies and even make calls. These include carriers that fly into India like Air France, Lufthansa, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Etihad.

In India, full-service carriers like Jet Airways and Vistara offer a host of video content which can be accessed by linking your smartphone devices to the aircraft's non-internet Wi-Fi. Budget-carrier SpiceJet is expected to offer this facility by June-end.