Mittu Chandilya to Launch AirAsia India

Thursday, 19th September 2013 at 15:39pm

In an industry troubled by huge losses, bankruptcy and labor unrest, it is highly improbable, if not impossible, to make a start-up company profitable or break even shorter than 5 years… But not with a company headed by a man so passionate about his job and his quest to excel in everything that he undertakes.

Enter Mittu Chandilya.

Tony Fernandes surprised industry experts and bigwigs on May 15 this year when he named Mittu Chandilya, the CEO for his Indian joint venture for his local budget airline subsidiary - AirAsia India.

Many was not expecting Tony Fernandes to appoint a non-aviation guy to lead his new airline venture in India. To recall, most of India's newest airlines hired seasoned foreign industry veterans during their launch.

Who is Mittu Chandilya?

Unlike many other airline executives, Mittu has no background in the aviation business in a similar capacity before he came to AirAsia. At 32 years old, he is too young for the job but he is a smart guy whose curriculum vitae has impressed Tony Fernandes when he decided to hire Chandilya to head his Indian venture.

Prior to his appointment as CEO of AirAsia India, Chandilya was the head of a Singapore-based Swiss leadership recruitment company, Egon Zehnder International in Kuala Lumpur. Before that, he also once a management consultant for a diversified company Ingersoll-Rand. He is also a born-entrepreneur that at 21, he was able to make $1.2 million by selling his company.

Tony Fernandes was scouting for candidates to head his local airline venture a few days after he set up a partnership with Tata Group to form a local subsidiary, later to be called AirAsia India. Fernandes and another executive met Chandilya in early March and was readily impressed by him. Tony Fernandes and Chandilya had another meeting in Kuala Lumpur and from then on, he thought he had found the man to head his Indian venture.

By mid-April, Chandilya accepted the offer and resigned from his job. He flew to India thereafter to meet Fernandes and the AirAsia India board as a way of introduction.

His designation officially took effect in June 1 this year. AirAsia India is scheduled to launch its inaugural operations in November this year.

By: Pete Lee.