How This Cancer Survivor Built A Rs 150-crore Uber-Like Aviation Company

When you dare to dream big and show the grit to achieve it no matter what, you become unstoppable. That's exactly what the relentless pursuit of Kanika Tekriwal to realize her dream illustrates.

From battling cancer at the age of 22 to starting her own company in the Indian aviation industry just about two years later, Kanika is the prime example of rock-solid determination coupled with the courage to open her wings to even reach sky-high ambitions.

The Journey

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Kanika wanted to build a charter aircraft business using an aggregator model like Ola and Uber. Around the year 2013, she set up Jetsetgo as an aircraft aggregator, with an initial investment of just ?5,600. First, she built an app to book chartered flights, and then for the next two years, she took advances from clients and credit from vendors to run the business.

Her company Jetsetgo Aviation Services Private Limited has gradually grown into a massive Rs 150-crore company, having handled 1 lakh flyers and operated 6,000 flights in 2020-21. Her clients are mostly corporates, celebrities, politicians, and people of importance.

And during the COVID lockdown as well, the company didn¡¯t lay off people or reduce any salary, as she believes that if you don't share your profits with employees, you have no right to cut the salary as well.

Also Read: How Has Covid Affected The Airline Industry & How It Was Before The Pandemic

Jetsetgo¡¯s aim

Her company Jetsetgo, often referred to as the Uber of the skies is a customer-centric venture aimed at revolutionizing the private aviation business in the region by redefining the experience for private charter customers. The company is also seeking a first-mover advantage in the fledgling urban air mobility with its eVTOL (electrical Vertical Take-Off) aircraft service. Such aircrafts are capable of vertical takeoff and landing and are predicted to play an important role in urban mobility in the near future.

The new heights for Jetsetgo

Today, JetSetGo operates India¡¯s largest private jet and helicopter fleet and currently holds over 20% of the total market as the single largest market shareholder. Under her leadership, It even enjoys a client satisfaction rate of 98.2% and has been awarded the prestigious National Entrepreneurship Award by the Government of India. Even recently in August 2021, JetSetGo became the first Indian leasing business to directly import an aircraft (Hawker 800 XP) into the country under Direct Leasing!

Just some of the feathers in her cap

Kanika¡¯s list of accolades just doesn't end! Kanika has been placed on numerous coveted lists such as Forbes¡¯ 30 Under 30, CNN¡¯s 20 Under 40, BBC¡¯s 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World, and a YGL with the World Economic Forum. While her biggest victory after surviving cancer can be that JetSetGo has shown seven-fold growth and holds an excellent EBITDA as well, Kanika revels much more in the smaller victories, such as receiving excellent customer feedback or repairing a plane in record time. She has also believed that her self belief is her success mantra, besides believing in the power of the mind. After all, if you believe it, you can do it.

Also Read: Tech Used In Oxford Covid Vaccine Could Help Fight Cancer, Reveals Study

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