| REDDY for TAKE OFF |
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An Indian aviation man initiated ideas that led to the national carrier joining the Star Alliance, the formation of a federation for air transporters in the sub continent, and planning of an aviation business school
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By Sayantan Chakravarty
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 India is an idea. An idea wrapped in tricolour proudly fluttering in the breeze. An idea powerful, allowing many of us to chase the Great Indian Dream. An idea that has moved the Occident and fires the Orient. An idea that allows unity in raw, abundant diversity. An idea that transcends colour and creed, time and space. An idea that allows our unsung heroes to leave their mark on its soul. An idea whose time has come.
One such unsung Indian, Ashok Madhu Reddy, aviation expert, largely self-effacing, industrious, man of ideas, and chaser of the Indian Dream, wanted to leave his mark in the area of his work. He went about his vision well, and that has prompted us to talk about his quiet contribution to yet another successful Indian initiative, this time in the aviation industry. It helped that in 2007, Reddy also met United States Senator John Kerry, a man who has deeply recognized India’s important role in shaping the world order in the 21st century. After all, during his over two decades in the Senate, Kerry has consistently championed issues that have been crucial to the Indian-American community in the United States. Issues such as economic and educational opportunities, a meaningful role in politics, justice and fair play, an end to discrimination, ethnic profiling and harassment, and a genuine partnership between the U.S. and India. |
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| India is an idea. An idea wrapped in tricolour proudly fluttering in the breeze. An idea powerful, allowing many of us to chase the Great Indian Dream. An idea that has moved the Occident and fires the Orient |
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| UNITY IN DIVERSITY: The Reddy family is large, and its linkages in the U.S. very strong. Ashok Reddy (front row, second from left) sits next to his brother V.S. Giri Reddy, Congress politician from Andhra Pradesh and media coordinator at the All India Congress Committee. Also seen are his sister Swarna Reddy Steele and her husband Brian Steele (front row, second and first from right), and Brian Steele's parents Prof Steele and Grace Steele (back row, second and third from right)
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“I have consistently fought for issues important to the Indian-American community. I believe in a genuine partnership between India and the U.S. We share the same goals”
—Senator John Kerry in an interview
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Today Reddy is employed as an assistant general manager with the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited. But back in 2001, when he first opened the sluice gates to his dreams, Reddy was with Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Indian Airlines (now merged with Air India). At the time, Reddy proposed a research paper for a case study on how important it was for Indian Airlines to become a part of the powerful Star Alliance. The proposal was submitted to the Aberdeen Business School in the U.K. for securing a degree in
M.Sc. in Marketing. It had its basis on sound reasoning—that joining the Star Alliance would immensely benefit India’s national airlines companies, that included Air India, and, therefore, a merger of the two would be eventually required. At the time Reddy submitted his proposal in 2001, Star represented well over a fifth of the global aviation market share. The alliance included such impressive names in the aviation sector such as United Airlines, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines,
Varig, SAS, Air New Zealand, Ansett Australia, Mexicana, British Midland, Austrian Airlines, Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways.
The argument behind the research proposal was simple. Joining the STAR alliance would definitely help Indian Airlines retain its market share and competitive positions. Global alliances usually enabled airline companies to dramatically extend their market coverage. Some of the direct benefits of alliance formation from the perspective of the passenger are joint computer reservation systems, through fares and ticketing, automatic baggage transfer,
co-ordinated flight schedules, and sharing frequent flier
programmes.
That research was the trigger that allowed first the merger of the two giant national carriers—Air India and Indian Airlines—into one. Most countries have a single national carrier, but until the merger, India had been an exception to the rule. “The merger paved the way for joining the Star Alliance as only one national carrier from India would have been allowed in the alliance,” says Reddy. In December 2007, Reddy’s original idea was ready for take off. The Chairman of the Star Alliance Board, Glen Tilton, announced the induction of Air India into the alliance’s fold.
India of the 21st century marches ahead unstoppably. And Reddy didn’t stop at his Star Alliance proposal either. Soon after his research proposal at Aberdeen, he came up with another proposal at the Cranfield University in U.K., this time for carrying out a feasibility study for starting a transport federation whose member countries would be drawn from the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). He argued that while the commercial environment encouraged rivalry between air transport operators, there remained certain critical areas where they could cooperate, and not compete, such as in insurance, environment, security, routing and scheduling. He pointed out that several similar air transport bodies existed elsewhere in the world like in Africa, Europe, Latin and North America, South Pacific, Asia Pacific. But there was none in the SAARC region.
Once again the trigger provided by the research proposal resulted in the formation of the Federation of Indian Airlines in October 2006 with eight Indian carriers as members. Between then and now, it has already become a powerful aviation transport body in the sub-continent.
Legendary American diplomat Eleanor Roosevelt once remarked, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” The future of India lies in the hands of those men who dare to dream. Reddy is in similar mould. In March 2005, he submitted a letter to the Indian Airlines brass, proposing that the Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Business School be set up in Hyderabad on the lines of various management and business schools in the state of Andhra
Pradesh, Reddy’s home state. The same proposal was also submitted to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Incredibly, the State Government of
A.P. cleared the setting up of an Aviation University with great speed. The matter now awaits final approval of the Federal Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Reddy met Senator Kerry at Hyderabad during his visit to India two years ago. “I told him about my plans, and I told him that America might have a role to play in improving India’s aviation infrastructure.” Kerry promised to help out, and seems to have pulled his considerable weight in the American establishment. The Indian Government has recently received monetary support from America to improve and enhance the quality of
air traffic management.
It also helps that Reddy’s siblings are well positioned. Elder sister Swarna Reddy Steele who lives in the U.S. is related to powerful political families in the U.S. through her husband and sister-in-law, including the well known Gabrieli family (Chris Gabrieli contested for Massachusetts Governor in 2006). In her younger days, Swarna Reddy had been handpicked by former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and set out to the USSR to complete a doctoral programme as part of a youth exchange initiative between the two countries. Elder brother Giri Reddy is an active political worker in
A.P. and is also the media coordinator of the powerful All India Congress Committee and works closely with the Gandhi political family. Ashok Reddy speaks highly of his siblings and of the critical support he has received from them while pursuing his dreams.
Reddy’s story is important to an India that is rapidly evolving and changing. His story suggests that those with dreams, vision and dare can contribute effectively to the building of the nation. As of now it seems that like millions of others, the idea of India seems to have caught his fancy, and those of his well placed friends on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
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May 2008
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