The onus lies with IndiGo and Air India: Rahul Bhatia on bringing aviation wealth back to India

As IndiGo prepares to complete 20 years of operations on August 4, the country's largest airline is gearing up for an ambitious international expansion, with plans to connect more overseas destinations, strengthen links with the global Indian diaspora and position India as a larger aviation hub, while continuing to build on its strong domestic network, as reported by news agency PTI.

The airline, which commands more than 66 per cent of India's domestic aviation market, is set to induct Airbus A321 XLR aircraft ahead of the arrival of wide-body Airbus A350s from 2028. The expansion is expected to help IndiGo increase its long-haul international presence.

IndiGo Managing Director and co-founder Rahul Bhatia, however, said the airline still considers itself a domestic-focused carrier despite its growing international ambitions.

"The onus lies with airlines like IndiGo and Air India to bring all that economic wealth back and truly have Indian carriers fly Indian customers to the world," Bhatia told PTI.

IndiGo's next big mission: Bring global Indian travellers home through Indian skies

"Do we want to get there? Yes, we aspire to get there. But we are still, I mean the heart of the company is really the domestic network we have. ... we do a little bit of experimenting with larger planes, but I think to call us global is kind of extending your imagination," Bhatia told PTI.

Bhatia said IndiGo's long-haul strategy would primarily focus on serving Indian travellers and the global Indian diaspora.

"When the airline does longer length of flying, it will be about taking Indians to markets around the world and bringing large Indian diaspora who live around the world to India," Bhatia told PTI.

Highlighting the role of Indian carriers in international aviation, Bhatia said Gulf airlines have captured a significant share of India's overseas passenger traffic over the years.

He said IndiGo's extensive domestic network would support its global ambitions.

"We have an extensive network in India, we can connect into a hub and fly people to the world. And vice-versa, bring people from geographies where we have large Indian concentration, bring them to India," he told PTI.

Asked whether IndiGo aims to build a global transit network similar to Gulf carriers, Bhatia said international connecting traffic would remain a secondary focus as India still has enormous untapped domestic demand.

When asked if IndiGo could eventually connect countries with large Indian diaspora populations through India, Bhatia responded confidently.

"Absolutely without a question," Bhatia told PTI.

Tracing IndiGo's journey, the airline began operations on August 4, 2006, with Airbus A320 aircraft connecting Delhi, Guwahati and Imphal. Over the years, it built its business around low fares, on-time performance, hassle-free service and operational efficiency, eventually becoming India's largest airline.

Today, IndiGo operates a fleet of more than 430 aircraft, serves over 95 domestic and more than 40 international destinations and has an order book exceeding 900 aircraft, including Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft scheduled for delivery from 2028.

Looking ahead, Bhatia said maintaining cost leadership would remain central to IndiGo's strategy.

"Because the day you lose control of that, in my mind at least, is the start of the beginning of the end," he told PTI.

Explaining the airline's long-term philosophy, he said affordability has been key to expanding India's aviation market.

"The whole premise of the airline was and is built around cost leadership... then be able to extend that cost advantage to consumers by offering them affordable fares, then you open up a whole new market. So customers come on board, you fill up planes, then you order more planes. It's like a flywheel that just keeps going," Bhatia told PTI.

The airline will also see a leadership transition with aviation veteran Willie Walsh taking over as CEO on August 3.

Speaking about Walsh's appointment, Bhatia said, "For Willie, this journey at IndiGo is not a stepping stone to something into the future. I think he really is motivated to make a difference. And I can see that when I talk to him," Bhatia told PTI.

He added, "In Willie, we have somebody who is very deep operationally... I think he will add an immense amount of value there... for a company like IndiGo to land someone like Willie Walsh speaks a little bit about IndiGo and more about the opportunity India offers," Bhatia told PTI.

Regarding the airline's future fleet strategy, Bhatia stated that IndiGo is awaiting the next generation of aircraft technology before placing another major aircraft order.

"The reason we have taken a pause right now is because we want to see what happens with the next generation aircraft. Who will launch it and when? Whenever that new technology comes along, I think it will be our next bite of the cherry and decide the future of this company beyond the current generation aircraft," Bhatia told PTI.

He added that IndiGo is well-positioned for growth through 2035.

"We will see how things evolve over the next few years. My own view is we are pretty well set till 2035," Bhatia told PTI.

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