The Curious Case of Indigo Airlines

 Ok, not sure where this will go, but the outrage is palpable. And warranted. Next to the Indian Railways, Indigo airlines probably ferries the most people around India as a single entity- just a guess.

And guess what? They don't have enough pilots. They are not owned by the government, so there's no hiring freeze. And they have been growing by choice, expanding the number of flights (and planes) like crazy. 

But pilots? Not really. Incredible? Maybe. But who will bell the cat, as they keep saying.

Well, if you are in deep slumber or sleep-walking with blinders on the rest of the time, you need a wake-up call. 

So, after boasting about how they are so wonderful, caring and customer-friendly, a Laxmi Bomb ( Diwali cracker) went off, and their Utopian world came apart in one fell swoop. Around 1000 flights were cancelled in a day, for 'operational' reasons. Someone please do a brain operation on their top management. 

Similar disasters are waiting to happen in the over-digitised world, according to me, a sceptic. Let's see..

Road Trip Gwalior to Indore

 On a recent work trip to Gwalior, we drove back from there. It was a pleasant drive, and we also got some work done at a lunch stop on the way, in Shivpuri district. Some shots of Gwalior, and of that stop. With me were colleagues Sohni Roy and Chandrashekhar.

Climbing up to the Fort.

The iconic Coffee House- there are a couple in Indore too.

Pillar in front of our hotel, and the working stop at a hotel.

My Engineering College Days

 Some of my buddies from then (1977-82, Osmania University), in modern times..above, in a railway coach in Bangalore, and below, in Bheemeswari resort not too far from Bangalore.

Venugopal Reddy, who went on to join the Railways hosted us in a coach built up as a living room. He is also a golfer, and we have played a few times in Delhi Golf Club. K Srinivasa Murthy just retired after selling out his manufacturing company in a technical field, after successful forays into international markets. Nagarjuna continues in his business selling equipment made by big brands. Huma became an author and traveller. Others are pursuing various things as consultants in India and abroad. And I, of course, have nothing to do with electrical engineering any more, and teach marketing to unsuspecting students.

Some others, we have lost out on-Alok and Seshagiri Rao are no more. Our profs. made valiant attempts to teach us, with varying degrees of success. Dhanvantari, B. Hanumantha Rao and P. Hanumantha Rao (nicknamed Pichhi), are some that I remember, apart from Ethirajulu.