The Indian AvGeek

Vishal Mehra
  • 5.0 (1)
  • AVIATION
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

India's number one aviation podcast. Sharing perspectives on everything related to Indian aviation, from the business of flying to #PaxEx, industry voices, news, and deeper analysis. Every fortnight we cover airlines, airports, OEMs, and the industry at large.

  1. Forecast for 2026 Skies feat. Ajay Awtaney (Founder & Editor, LiveFromALounge.com)

    1D AGO

    Forecast for 2026 Skies feat. Ajay Awtaney (Founder & Editor, LiveFromALounge.com)

    Episode 57: The 2026 Flight Plan with Ajay Awtaney As 2025 draws to a close, the Indian skies look vastly different than it did twelve months ago. We’ve seen the "arrival" of India on the global stage at the IATA AGM in Delhi, but we’ve also grappled with the sombre reality of the AI171 tragedy and operational meltdowns at IndiGo that tested passenger loyalty to its limit. In this deep-dive season finale, Vishal sits down with LiveFromALounge’s founder and editor, Ajay Awtaney, to dissect a year of extreme highs and lows. We explore: The IndiGo Pivot: From "IndiGoStretch" to the "BluChip" loyalty program—is the LCC/hybrid giant successfully poaching corporate flyers, or just rewarding its own?The Air India Integration: Post-Vistara, has the "premium culture" survived the merger, or are passengers drifting toward foreign carriers?Infrastructure Wars: With Navi Mumbai finally open and Noida/Jewar facing more delays, what does the “dual airport" reality look like for Mumbai and Delhi NCR flyers?The 2026 Outlook: The XLR’s 8-hour marathon to Athens, Air India’s massive retrofit rollout, and the battle for the Indian credit card wallet.Loyalty wars—BluChip vs Maharaja Club, new credit card tie-ups, and Emirates eyeing India.Akasa’s quiet rise—targeting Singapore, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan while the big two are distracted. From alliances to loyalty programs, from Athens’ narrowbody long-haul to New Delhi’s triple-airport reality, Ajay and Vishal decode the future of Indian aviation in 2026. The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast apps. Rishad on X Vishal on X

    1h 7m
  2. The Cheeky Challenger feat. Shivani Singh Deo (Country Manager - India, Virgin Atlantic)

    DEC 14

    The Cheeky Challenger feat. Shivani Singh Deo (Country Manager - India, Virgin Atlantic)

    Episode 56 Virgin Atlantic isn’t just flying to India; they are painting the skies red with a staggering 350% growth since 2019. In this episode, Vishal sits down with Shivani Singh Deo, Country Manager – India for Virgin Atlantic, to decode how the "cheeky challenger" of aviation is aggressively expanding its footprint in one of the world's largest aviation markets. Transitioning from a marketing role to leading country operations, Shivani opens up about the strategy behind Virgin’s massive capacity boost—offering one million seats annually on India routes. We deep dive into the mechanics of their four-way partnership with IndiGo, Delta, and Air France-KLM, and how this alliance is reshaping the India-UK-US corridor. We also touch on the recent joint interview of AF-KLM & Lufthansa CEOs on their growing worries about Gulf-based airlines, as well as Turkish Airlines. Key discussion points: The 350% Surge: How Virgin Atlantic achieved massive growth and the strategy behind the new Bengaluru and double-daily Mumbai services.Strategic Alliances: Analysing the impact of the IndiGo and SkyTeam partners on Virgin’s competitive edge.Fleet & Product: Why the "youngest, cleanest fleet" matters, and the split between O&D vs. connecting traffic (60:40) to the US.Business of Cargo: Discussing the untold story of a 356% increase in cargo capacity.The Sky High Club: Inside the unique, India-only rewards program for travel agents.Women in Aviation: Shivani’s advice for aspiring female leaders in a male-dominated industry. Tune in for a masterclass on balancing profitability with personality in the skies. The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast apps. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    54 min
  3. The Last MD‑83 and the Next Frontier feat. Arun Kr Singh (President & CEO, TezJet)

    NOV 30

    The Last MD‑83 and the Next Frontier feat. Arun Kr Singh (President & CEO, TezJet)

    Episode 55 with Arun Kumar Singh, the CEO of Kyrgyzstan-based TezJet.  From the hyper-regulated regional skies of India’s UDAN scheme to the mountainous terrain of Central Asia, Arun’s journey is as unique as the fleet he operates. With TezJet launching its direct Bishkek-Delhi service this week, we dive deep into the operational reality of connecting India with Kyrgyzstan. But this isn't just a route launch conversation—it is a deep dive into fleet strategy, unit economics, and aviation history. In this episode, we discuss: The Return of the Mad Dog: Why TezJet operates the MD-83 (including the last one ever built!) and the Avro RJ85 in an era of A320neos and 737 MAXs.UDAN Reality Check: Having led IndiaOne Air, Arun gives a brutally honest take on why regional connectivity in India cannot survive without subsidies.Kingfisher Untold Stories: Arun shares shocking anecdotes from his time at Kingfisher Airlines, including the story of how Vijay Mallya ordered a fleet of Airbus A340s during a lunch at a London pub—a meal that cost $550 million.Old Jets, New Tech: How TezJet balances flying 28-year-old analog jets while using cutting-edge AI pricing tools like RateGain.Engine Woes: Why Arun is taking Pratt & Whitney’s recovery timeline with a "pinch of salt". Whether you are an aviation professional tracking CASK and yields or an enthusiast nostalgic for the MD-80 series, this episode is packed with unfiltered insights. Tune in now! The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast apps. Arun Kumar Singh - ⁠@AKS9955⁠ Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    1h 25m
  4. From Cockpit to Analytics feat. Courtney Miller, Founder & MD, Visual Approach Analytics)

    NOV 16

    From Cockpit to Analytics feat. Courtney Miller, Founder & MD, Visual Approach Analytics)

    Episode 54 What happens when a pilot, an airline operator, and a strategist decide to reimagine aviation through the lens of data? In this episode, I sit down with Courtney Miller, the mind behind Visual Approach Analytics, to explore how storytelling, visualisation, and forecasting are reshaping the way airlines make decisions. What we discussed: •  Courtney’s journey into aviation: from the cockpit to Bombardier and DHL, and eventually into analytics. •  Why he believes the industry was “oddly slow” to recognize the value of aviation analytics. •  Lessons from DHL’s cargo forecasting (yes, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day were the most stressful!) and how they differ from passenger airline planning. •  The art of turning complex aviation data into accessible intelligence. •  Fleet planning quirks: Allegiant’s unique approach, Akasa’s Boeing delivery challenges, SpiceJet’s survival instincts, and what Indian carriers like Air India and IndiGo should be doing differently. •  The profitability puzzle: India’s booming demand versus chronic losses—what data signals separate hype from traction. •  Are Indian airlines over-ordering? Courtney breaks down the metrics that reveal overcapacity, underutilization, and systemic risk. •  India’s ambition to be a global hub: should carriers double down on regional connectivity, long-haul expansion, or partnerships? •  Air India’s post-privatization struggles and what it could learn from South Korea’s model of global talent and best practices. •  Disruptive shifts in aviation—from AI and machine learning to evolving fleet strategies—and what’s hype versus reality. •  The next frontier for aviation analytics, misunderstood metrics like load factors and yields, and Courtney’s favorite airline innovation he’d copy worldwide. Along the way, expect witty detours (including a Ryanair comparison), sharp insights on pricing (“AI doesn’t always mean personalized pricing”), and a candid look at how data has evolved in aviation decision-making over the past five years. The Indian AvGeek streams on all major podcast apps.

    1h 16m
  5. Defrastructure & Disruption: The ePlane Story feat. Prof Satya Chakravarthy (Founder, The ePlane Co)

    NOV 2

    Defrastructure & Disruption: The ePlane Story feat. Prof Satya Chakravarthy (Founder, The ePlane Co)

    What does it take to reimagine flight for India’s cities — and make it affordable, scalable, and safe? In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, I sit down with Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder, CEO-CTO of The ePlane Company and long-time professor at IIT Madras, to explore how deep-tech innovation is reshaping the skies above us. From his early fascination with aerospace engineering to his bold leap from academia into ventures like ePlane and Agnikul Cosmos, Prof. Chakravarthy shares the sparks that drive him to tackle frontier problems. We dive into his concept of “defrastructure” — the invisible backbone of future mobility — and how it guides his work across aviation, space, and urban transport. Together, we unpack: •  🚁 The design philosophy behind ePlane’s compact eVTOLs and the balancing act of range, payload, and cost •  🛫 The regulatory gauntlet of securing DGCA’s Design Organisation Approval and lessons learned •  🔬 The breakthrough of “aerodynamic synergy” in the e200X and why 196+ design iterations were worth it •  🌆 The roadmap to commercial operations, early customer reactions, and how India’s cities might embrace air taxis •  🌍 India’s place in the global aerospace race — from UAM to rocketry, and even the possibility of a homegrown civilian airliner •  💡 Insights from global peers like Joby, Archer, and EHang, and what India can adapt for its own skies •  👩‍💻 His advice for young engineers and entrepreneurs daring to build at the edge of science and business Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    1h 12m
  6. The Indian Travel Stack feat. Suresh Khadakbhavi (CEO, Digi Yatra Foundation)

    OCT 19

    The Indian Travel Stack feat. Suresh Khadakbhavi (CEO, Digi Yatra Foundation)

    A deep dive into the tech, governance, and everyday friction of modern air travel with the person who helped turn a fringe idea into India’s biometric travel backbone. Suresh Khadakbhavi walks us from a muddy auto ride before his BIAL interview to the pilot with Jet Airways that proved passenger-first biometrics could scale nationally and explains how Digi Yatra is designed to enable seamless journeys without becoming a surveillance system. What you’ll hear in this episode •  A vivid origin story of how aviation and Suresh found each other, including a memorable muddy-ride interview anecdote that ended with an emergency wardrobe buy. •  The spark inside BIAL’s Innovation Lab that birthed the “walk-through-all-touchpoints-with-no-one-stopping-you” idea and how rapid passenger feedback at BLR turned a developer’s dream into a national program. •  How the 2017 Jet Airways pilot validated core assumptions, which insights convinced stakeholders to scale, and the unexpected operational learnings from working with airlines. •  A clear, technical separation between Digi Yatra’s decentralized self‑sovereign identity model and centralized surveillance systems, plus exactly what data touches external servers during a Digi Yatra transaction. •  The governance and technical design choices made to prevent mission creep and ensure passenger privacy. •  Practical reasons why adoption feels voluntary yet operationally nudged, and how airports balance efficiency with genuine choice. •  Measurable operational wins, including reduced processing times at entry gates and the downstream economics that happier, faster passengers bring to airports and retail. •  The role of partner integrations—airlines, OTAs, and apps—in making Digi Yatra the travel stack for India and the roadmap to gate-level boarding automation. •  International ambitions, collaboration with IATA’s One‑ID work, and the vision for Digi Yatra to interoperate with EU credentials and other global systems for borderless travel. •  Near-term product roadmap highlights: AI-driven multilingual chatbots, anti-spoofing measures, expanded onboarding flows, and pilots beyond airports into hotels and other travel touchpoints. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    57 min
  7. Delhi Hub Hustle & Airline Tussle feat. Ameya Joshi (Founder, NetworkThoughts.com)

    OCT 5

    Delhi Hub Hustle & Airline Tussle feat. Ameya Joshi (Founder, NetworkThoughts.com)

    In this episode of The Indian AvGeek, we welcome Ameya Joshi, Founder of NetworkThoughts.com to unpack Delhi Airport’s rise as a global transfer hub, explore underserved corridors, and chart India’s changing network dynamics. From terminal revamps and new mega-hubs to airline slot wars and bold contrarian forecasts, Ameya lays out the strategic moves that will define the next decade of Indian aviation. ✈️ In this discussion, we explore Delhi Airport’s remarkable transformation into a global transit hub, with international-to-international transfers surging 244%. This impressive growth positions Delhi as the best directly connected airport to North America and Europe in South and Southeast Asia. ✈️ Our conversation covers Delhi’s strategic positioning on the East-West corridor, particularly highlighting the success of the Central Asia-Southeast Asia route, where IndiGo’s connections between Bangkok, Phuket and Central Asian cities like Almaty, Tashkent, Tbilisi, and Baku alone drove a 500% increase in transit traffic. We discuss what Delhi Airport needs to become more competitive globally, including infrastructure improvements to Terminal 3 and the potential game-changing impact of an inter-terminal train system. ✈️ The episode delves into Air India’s evolving hub strategy at Delhi, including the recent announcement that 60 of its 180 daily domestic departures will relocate. We examine how this restructuring supports Air India’s European expansion and smaller station connectivity ambitions ✈️ Looking ahead, we discuss the imminent opening of two crucial airports: Noida International Airport (DXN) at Jewar, set to be inaugurated in few weeks, with commercial operations beginning within 45 days and an initial capacity of 12 million passengers annually, and how it might take three years to reach full capacity. We also touch on Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), inaugurating this month with the potential to reach its 20 million passenger capacity within the first year of operations ✈️ The discussion turns to India’s evolving airline landscape, where Akasa Air has ascended to become the country’s third-largest carrier. We analyze what it will take for Akasa to solidify its position beyond simply benefiting from SpiceJet’s operational challenges. Speaking of SpiceJet, we examine their puzzling strategy of inducting an Airbus A340 on wet lease, arriving by September-end 2025, potentially for London routes via Gatwick or Stansted ✈️ We explore IndiGo’s strategic partnerships, particularly their collaboration with the SkyTeam alliance carriers including Delta, Air France-KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, positioning them for deeper European and North American connectivity. The episode addresses IndiGo’s upcoming Athens route using India’s first Airbus A321XLR, with six weekly flights split between Delhi and Mumbai starting January 2026. We debate whether the Delhi-Athens market can support both IndiGo and Aegean Airlines’ planned services and discuss the implications for route development. ✈️ Finally, we explore the future of Indian aviation, including the potential for joint venture agreements between Indian and international carriers, the impact of New Distribution Capability (NDC) on revenue management, and bold predictions for India’s aviation landscape over the next 18-24 months. Ameya shares his take on India-Dubai and India-Singapore bilateral capacity, questioning whether relaxed restrictions would truly generate additional demand given current market dynamics. ✈️ Throughout our discussion, we examine how infrastructure constraints, geopolitical factors, and competitive dynamics shape India’s aviation future, while Delhi Airport positions itself among the world’s top five airports within the next decade. Ameya Joshi - @khabri_lal Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    1h 5m
  8. 50 Shades of Oneworld feat. Nathaniel Pieper (CEO, Oneworld)

    SEP 21

    50 Shades of Oneworld feat. Nathaniel Pieper (CEO, Oneworld)

    A milestone episode for The Indian AvGeek. For our fiftieth show we welcome Nathaniel Pieper, an airline lifer who now leads Oneworld. Expect a conversation that blends airline boardroom strategy with the pure joy of flight — fleet tales, alliance chess, lounge plans for India, and the kind of technical nitty gritty only someone who’s ridden the industry for decades can tell. ✈️ How it began — Nat’s first sparks for aviation and the formative moments that steered him from Northwest to a career shaped around alliances and network strategy. ✈️ Alliances as vocation — Why alliances became a repeated thread through his roles at Northwest, Delta, Alaska and now as Oneworld CEO ✈️ Fleet futures — A frank take on the Airbus A321XLR’s ambition to deliver 757-like range and economics and how that shapes network planning ✈️ Lessons learnt from Alaska Airlines — How leading Alaska’s Oneworld entry and previous alliance work at Delta inform Nat’s priorities and decision-making ✈️ Oneworld’s identity — A clear articulation of the alliance’s value for member airlines and passengers and how Oneworld positions itself differently from Star Alliance and SkyTeam. The practical criteria, simulations and KPIs Oneworld uses when evaluating new members to strengthen network value rather than dilute it ✈️ India on the radar — Why India matters for Oneworld, the current absence of an Indian member, and the concrete alliance benefits that can be tailored for Indian flyers including loyalty, network connectivity and premium services beyond lounges. ✈️ Oneworld lounge in India — The roadmap for up to 10 new Oneworld lounges in the coming years and the practical hurdles and opportunities of opening lounges in Indian airports ✈️ Codeshares versus alliances — How airlines like IndiGo choose between codeshares, multilateral alliances, or remaining unaligned and what strategic tradeoffs CXOs weigh ✈️ Segmenting the alliance — Whether Oneworld will remain a unified network or evolve into layered offerings to partner with LCCs for VFR and leisure demand without eroding premium yields ✈️ Commercial returns of an alliance — The financial and operational KPIs that justify alliance investment, and how ROI is measured across fees, shared revenue and resource commitments ✈️ Network coordination — The role Oneworld plays in reducing route duplication while growing members’ networks and where member autonomy still rules ✈️ Technology and distribution — Oneworld’s perspective on NDC, digital distribution, dynamic packaging and the technology roadmap that will enable seamless passenger experiences ✈️ Personal moments — Nat’s favourite airline, his most memorable flights from a passenger and executive point of view, and why keeping a flight journal since 2006 defines him as one of us. Vishal Mehra - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@vis⁠hal1mehra⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Indian AvGeek continues to be India’s premier aviation podcast, bringing you fortnightly deep dives into airlines, airports, industry trends, and the personalities shaping the world of aviation.

    48 min
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About

India's number one aviation podcast. Sharing perspectives on everything related to Indian aviation, from the business of flying to #PaxEx, industry voices, news, and deeper analysis. Every fortnight we cover airlines, airports, OEMs, and the industry at large.

Information

  • Creator
    Vishal Mehra
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    The Indian AvGeek

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