In the past few years, the number of unicorns coming out of India has been astonishing. This only shows the environment for entrepreneurship is quite good in the nation. While as a nation we are succeeding due to this boom there are also tones of individuals who are getting empowered because of this.
Today we are going to talk about one such individual. JetSetGo, founded by Kanika Tekriwal. JetSetGo is also called ‘Uber of the Indian Skies’. But who is Kanika Tekriwal? What does JetSetGo do, how did it come to existence and what were the major struggles she had to face? Let us understand in this article
Who is Kanika Tekriwal?
Born in an orthodox Marwari family, her father was running a real estate and chemical business. From a young age, she was independent as she was sent to a boarding school in the south of India. This experience of experiencing an alien culture helped her become more malleable and also exposed to new experiences. She later moved to Mumbai for her undergrad in economics and a diploma in design. When she was just 17, she worked part-time and helped set up the aviation division for real estate powerhouse Indiabulls.
She was also a huge proponent of practical experience saying “I started working a full-time job in aviation and only going to college to give exams. Everything that I know about aviation I learned on the job; today, I can assemble and disassemble a plane blindfolded.” Then she moved to London to get an M.B.A. from Coventry University.
What does JetSetGo do?
Kanika Tekriwal co-founded her company with her friend Sudheer Perla. It is an Online Airplane Aggregator Firm established in 2014. JetSetGo is an online aeroplane aggregator platform that manages, operates, and flies planes for
plane lessors.
The startup also provides chartered aircraft to customers for visiting different places. And, the
company also provides its services in case of emergency evacuations. The major objective of the startup is to make private flying in India more transparent, economical, and efficient.
How did it come to existence?
Due to typical Indian family pressures for getting married, she had to move to the UK to pursue her carrier. After doing a job for a few years in the UK, she very soon returned to India to start her entrepreneurship journey.
She started JetSetGo when she had $100 in her pocket. In a year, she built an organization of 70 employees. This has been an inspirational story for many entrepreneurs struggling due to a lack of capital.
The major struggles she had to face?
The first major obstacle she had to face was her body itself. In 2011 she was diagnosed with Cancer which she fought and defeated within a year. The second was the public ridicule she had to face from her co-workers back in the UK who laughed at setting up a thriving aviation company in India.
Initially, the private jet industry was going through a tough phase. Customers were not happy with their booking experiences. Private jet owners also had other issues with the private firms regarding handling their jets.
Despite all of this today JetSetGo either manages or has exclusive marketing contracts for 16 aircraft-ranging from Falcons to Hawkers to Challengers with 7 to 18 seats. This makes it the largest fleet in India, and the outfit operates anywhere from 4 to 20 flights a day.
Written by: Akhil Menon
References: MetroSaga and The Indian Express
Feature Image Source: LiveMint
