nafod
"There seems to be no other place than a scheduled airline here to learn how to fly."
This is the big problem and not only in India. Europe springs to mind. What they are doing in Europe is to re prioritize, flying skills. I know a management pilot for a flag carrier in Europe. He told me flying skills are well down on the list of their priorities. Scary? Well it is ok until there is an abnormality, automatics play up, for e.g. Maybe I am old fashioned.
Thank God for automatics and I pray they keep working, as we are becoming very reliant on them and so are the pax, to keep them alive.