IndiGo’s announcement that Aditya Ghosh will step down as the president of the airline came as a surprise to many in the aviation business. Ghosh who joined the airline as a general counsel steered the airline to not only become the biggest domestic carrier, but also the most profitable in the country. While his exit has led to many speculations, Ghosh answered most of the questions candidly but declined to comment on whether Air India would fund buyers or if he would be bidding for the airline with support from private equity funds. Excerpts from an exclusive interview with Surajeet Das Gupta.
1) Was this decision to leave a sudden decision or the end of boardroom drama as it is being described by many?
Well, a decision like this can never be sudden. It has been a difficult decision. One with mixed emotions. I cannot begin to describe the love and affection I have got from my colleagues. It’s been a dream run.
As I wrote to my colleagues, I have been in this current role for ten years now. This has been a relentless and non-stop effort. It wasn’t a marathon but a sprint. I was having a lot of fun in creating something that this country had never seen before. At the same time, I had been itching to do something new. I had been talking to the Founders, Rahul and Rakesh for a while. I have a great relationship with them. We have worked closely for nearly 16 years. So it took me a while to convince them that I am serious about handing over the reins and plan on doing something different. Having built an industry leading product and a team that is truly world class, I felt that if there is ever a time to step back and think about what next, this is as good a time as any.
With a solid track record, robust processes in place, an experienced leadership team and an army of passionate hard-working employees, IndiGo is in safe hands.
2) How would you describe your relationship with the promoters?
The relationship I share with the Founders cannot be described in a few sentences and that will never change. I have learnt so much from Rahul and Rakesh. I am truly grateful for the opportunity they bestowed me with.
3) When the airline was small and below 100 planes you knew the number of each aircraft and the names of all the employees. As it has grown bigger with more complexity in processes, perhaps it needs a different kind of management with even expats joining in?
I think I still know the names of most of my colleagues. You can ask them if you like! I cannot begin to describe the relationship of pure love and affection I have with my colleagues. As I said, it has been a dream run. Doubt, if I could have asked for more.
As the company scales up, it needs to evolve in all aspects. It would be silly to think that what got it here will get it to where it wants to be. We need to put together strong building blocks for the future. As we have been saying for a while, we have to build a world class team that draws talent from all over the world. That would mean attracting the best, irrespective of whether they are Indian or foreigners. Too much drama is being read into this. The goal is to create a winning team.
4) The international game is very different and you have been very cautious in your foray which is also reflected in your market share
Now as IndiGo has a larger global ambition and going to Europe and then the US, as well as fly short hauls within Europe one needs international guys to run the show.
What is a needed is a team that is the best in the business. To use a sports analogy, you want to be a team that wins the game irrespective of which stadium you are playing in and what the weather conditions may be on that day.
5) Many people are saying that the appointment of expatriates led to your departure.
While it sounds dramatic, it is just not true. These are colleagues of mine and I have a lot of respect for them. We have been saying for a while, we have to build a world-class team that draws talent from all over the world. That would mean attracting the best, irrespective of which passport they carry. Would it have been more palatable if we had just stayed stagnant and not strengthened the team? No. We need to put together strong building blocks for the future. As I said, you want to be a team that wins the game irrespective of which stadium you are playing in and what the weather conditions on that day may be.
6) Were you not keen on bidding for Air India?
Not sure where this is coming from. But I can tell you this much that once a decision is made by the Board after adequate deliberation, it is a team decision and each one of us believes in putting in our best effort.
30/04/18 Surjeet Das Gupta/Business Standard
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1) Was this decision to leave a sudden decision or the end of boardroom drama as it is being described by many?
Well, a decision like this can never be sudden. It has been a difficult decision. One with mixed emotions. I cannot begin to describe the love and affection I have got from my colleagues. It’s been a dream run.
As I wrote to my colleagues, I have been in this current role for ten years now. This has been a relentless and non-stop effort. It wasn’t a marathon but a sprint. I was having a lot of fun in creating something that this country had never seen before. At the same time, I had been itching to do something new. I had been talking to the Founders, Rahul and Rakesh for a while. I have a great relationship with them. We have worked closely for nearly 16 years. So it took me a while to convince them that I am serious about handing over the reins and plan on doing something different. Having built an industry leading product and a team that is truly world class, I felt that if there is ever a time to step back and think about what next, this is as good a time as any.
With a solid track record, robust processes in place, an experienced leadership team and an army of passionate hard-working employees, IndiGo is in safe hands.
2) How would you describe your relationship with the promoters?
The relationship I share with the Founders cannot be described in a few sentences and that will never change. I have learnt so much from Rahul and Rakesh. I am truly grateful for the opportunity they bestowed me with.
3) When the airline was small and below 100 planes you knew the number of each aircraft and the names of all the employees. As it has grown bigger with more complexity in processes, perhaps it needs a different kind of management with even expats joining in?
I think I still know the names of most of my colleagues. You can ask them if you like! I cannot begin to describe the relationship of pure love and affection I have with my colleagues. As I said, it has been a dream run. Doubt, if I could have asked for more.
As the company scales up, it needs to evolve in all aspects. It would be silly to think that what got it here will get it to where it wants to be. We need to put together strong building blocks for the future. As we have been saying for a while, we have to build a world class team that draws talent from all over the world. That would mean attracting the best, irrespective of whether they are Indian or foreigners. Too much drama is being read into this. The goal is to create a winning team.
4) The international game is very different and you have been very cautious in your foray which is also reflected in your market share
Now as IndiGo has a larger global ambition and going to Europe and then the US, as well as fly short hauls within Europe one needs international guys to run the show.
What is a needed is a team that is the best in the business. To use a sports analogy, you want to be a team that wins the game irrespective of which stadium you are playing in and what the weather conditions may be on that day.
5) Many people are saying that the appointment of expatriates led to your departure.
While it sounds dramatic, it is just not true. These are colleagues of mine and I have a lot of respect for them. We have been saying for a while, we have to build a world-class team that draws talent from all over the world. That would mean attracting the best, irrespective of which passport they carry. Would it have been more palatable if we had just stayed stagnant and not strengthened the team? No. We need to put together strong building blocks for the future. As I said, you want to be a team that wins the game irrespective of which stadium you are playing in and what the weather conditions on that day may be.
6) Were you not keen on bidding for Air India?
Not sure where this is coming from. But I can tell you this much that once a decision is made by the Board after adequate deliberation, it is a team decision and each one of us believes in putting in our best effort.
30/04/18 Surjeet Das Gupta/Business Standard
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