Ronojoy Dutta appointed IndiGo CEO; M Damod­aran as chairman of board

IndiGo on Thursday announced the appointment of Ronojoy Dutta as its chief executive officer (CEO). Meanwhile, M Damod­aran, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, has been appointed chairman of the IndiGo’s board of directors.

Dutta, who has earlier served as a United Airlines executive and Air Sahara president, joined IndiGo as principal consultant in Dece­mber.

IndiGo commands 40 per cent of the domestic market share. It is also planning to fly to Central Asia and Europe soon. To support its growth plans, the airline has been hiring foreign executives with experience in bigger airlines. Its former CEO Aditya Ghosh resigned in April 2018.

Rahul Bhatia, co-founder and interim CEO of IndiGo, said, “We are pleased that Rono is joining the team. His varied experience and understanding of the complexities of the airline industry will be invaluable as IndiGo embarks on its next phase of growth.”

Following the announcement, Dutta said IndiGo was blessed to be operating in one of the highest growth economies of the world, and would hold immense future opportunities for its rapid growth. 

“Most importantly, IndiGo has an enthusiastic, energetic workforce, who is an absolute delight to work with. I look forward to working with the employees to ensure that IndiGo’s future is even brighter than its past,” he said.

Challenges, however, are plenty. As a carrier, IndiGo is going through a thorough transformation in developing itself as a global airline. Its yield and occupancy have been poorer than closest rival SpiceJet because of its rapid growth trajectory. 

The top management had tough time to convince analysts about its business plans.

Experts say Dutta’s experience in building a global network would come in handy. 

Earlier, he was part of the team that launched Air Sahara’s London flight with wide body planes. Dutta could also bring in the expertise that IndiGo’s top executives may be lacking because of the aggressive expansion plan.