Dutta's tryst with airline cockpits: One went bankrupt, another was sold

Dutta, an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, started working with Voltas in Bengaluru and Kochi, before going to Harvard Business School in 1978

Ronojoy (Rono) Dutta’s tryst with Indian aviation began when Ashok Saikia, a key aide in then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s office, called him one day, requesting him to fly down to India for a fortnight. He was asked to share his views on how to improve services of Indian Airlines and Air India.

Dutta, who was working as a consultant for airlines like US Airways and Air Canada after quitting as president of United Airlines, agreed. He met the airlines’ brass and recommended that the two carriers be merged. But his interactions with the government led to speculation that