India's airline business can't seem to make money. IndiGo is showing how to
WHY WE DID THE STORY: When I met a very reluctant Rahul Bhatia for this story at his Gurgaon office, the idea was to understand how he had built a successful low-cost carrier operation in India and steered it through the downturn. Private airline pioneers in India had famously said it couldn’t be done. But IndiGo passengers were delighted with the clean planes and steady on-time performance. How did he get it right? Bhatia emphasised the importance of meticulous planning and relentless cost control. He never spent a dollar, unless he was absolutely forced to, he said. He also constantly looked for ways to reduce costs.
(You can read this story here )(This story appears in the 03 June, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)