Sky High explores IndiGo's unique approach and its future path

Sky High: The Untold Story of IndiGo

Author: Tarun Shukla

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 231

Price: Rs 699

A journalist’s account of a sector and a company that he has tracked closely for years is expected to have anecdotes and details that are not in the public domain. Sky High: The Untold Story of IndiGo does not disappoint on that score. The writer, Tarun Shukla, has been an aviation reporter for long and he’s made good use of his access to people on the beat to put together a book that should be of interest to a large number of readers. That’s because although it is the story of IndiGo — the biggest airline in India — the book has come at a time when Air India (now with the Tatas) is its only serious competition in the sky while its earlier rivals have gone down under.

Sky High has attempted to answer many questions. What does IndiGo do differently? What is the road ahead for IndiGo? And what makes it grow despite the rift among the promoters, Rahul Bhatia and Rakesh Gangwal? Mr Shukla’s narrative of many of the complex issues is based on a string of interviews, research running into years and, of course, a reporter’s memory. The result is a work capturing the journey of IndiGo from its entry as a low-cost airline in 2006 in a somewhat crowded market to becoming the largest and the most valuable airline in the country.

The idea of this book dates back to 2012, some 12 years ago, when Mr Shukla got down to reading Nuts, urged by his editor at that point Sukumar Ranganathan. Nuts was about how Southwest Airlines, a low-cost airline, changed air travel in the US. Nuts may have inspired Sky High, but the writer points out that “IndiGo was and is, even now, nothing close to the kind of an exuberant airline that Southwest was.’’ He explains that IndiGo has been an extremely closed airline and its promoters have been super reclusive. “The only thing the airline was happy to announce in its early years was its (financial) results,’’ he says to make his point.

Even in 2011, when IndiGo had close to 20 per cent of the market share, it was still not part of the big league, Mr Shukla recounts. Jet’s Naresh Goyal and Kingfisher’s Vijay Mallya ruled the Indian skies and the public mindscape, he writes. In contrast, “IndiGo’s Bhatia and Gangwal were nowhere to be seen in public. It was hard to find a picture of Gangwal, and it still is.’’ Offering a reporter’s perspective, the writer reveals that at aviation ministry meetings with all promoters, Mr Bhatia would sit close to the door so that he could sneak out just after the meeting. If the waiting media reached out to Mr Bhatia, “he would smile and merely point to Mallya and Goyal indicating the big guys are over there.’’

Sky High had begun as a three-month project. But the book ended up taking years because of the writer’s professional journey. In the process, IndiGo had grown up to be a “big daddy”. That’s how Mr Shukla refers to the airline. Many other things also changed in between those years, including the fate of Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways. Despite the lost years, Mr Shukla decided to go ahead with the story of IndiGo, which meant interviews with some 300 people and multiple meetings with Mr Gangwal and Mr Bhatia.   

The pages of this book are filled with examples of lobbying, tweaking of policies to benefit some airlines, bonding between politicians and businessmen and fierce rivalry in the industry. In an interesting observation, the writer recalls that what worked in favour of IndiGo in the early days of operation was that Mr Mallya’s (Kingfisher Airline) only target was Mr Goyal (Jet Airways) and that kept them busy for many years.

Besides such observations, what stands out in this book is the bold depiction of why a certain policy was introduced or not introduced at a certain point. Be it conditions for international flying rights or mandating regional connectivity, the collusion between policymakers and businesses is unambiguous. “Rubbing the aviation ministry the wrong way only invites more pain. Rahul [Bhatia], who had started lobbying in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan much before IndiGo was started, should have known better. In September 2012, Ajit Singh, who was very powerful then, had the Union Cabinet approve 49 per cent investment by foreign airlines. He also floated a proposal making it mandatory for airlines to operate flights to smaller cities to improve regional connectivity.” IndiGo was the only major airline then that did not have small aircraft, the writer adds to explain the context.

Sky High, which spans almost two decades, is a study in contrast between then and now. Mr Bhatia spoke out against the government at a public function in Kolkata back in 2012. “Our principle issue is, why is the government tinkering with policies for a select few in the industry?” This had forced the aviation ministry to issue a clarification saying the government was not discriminating against IndiGo or favouring any specific airline. Such instances are a rarity now.

What keeps one going through the pages of this book is its racy style, quite like a reporter’s diary with anecdotes seen and heard. The author has successfully attempted to bind the story of IndiGo with the overarching theme of aviation. In the IndiGo story, its promoters, who have now parted ways, liven up the book with their subdued personalities. The paan ki dukaan jibe made by Rakesh Gangwal against Rahul Bhatia, accusing him of governance lapses in IndiGo, finds prominent mention in the book, giving the story of the airline a human touch.    

It’s interesting that recently Mr Gangwal acquired a stake in Southwest Airlines — a development after this book was published —making it a full circle from Nuts to Sky High.