IndiGo and Air India have again turned to expat CEOs, underscoring a persistent gap in India’s aviation leadership talent pool
Private commercial aviation took off only in 1994. Air India’s decades-long monopoly and reliance on public-sector managers left India with limited senior aviation talent
Airlines should not restrict top-level hiring by nationality. Proven global aviation experience must remain the foremost criterion for leading complex international operations
IndiGo’s expat CEOs include Willie Walsh and Pieter Elbers. Yet its longest and most successful tenure came under Indian executive Aditya Ghosh between 2008 and 2018
Since its Tata takeover, Air India has relied exclusively on expat chiefs. Tewolde Gebremariam now follows Campbell Wilson, bringing extensive global turnaround experience
Global expertise can strengthen Indian aviation, but repeated dependence on foreign chiefs highlights the need to develop a world-class domestic leadership pipeline