India-based private jet concierge service,
Jetsetgo has leveraged technology to link passengers to planes through an online marketplace. The aviation company renders a premier private flight experience with airport escorts, ground staff and trained cabin crew.
CEO and Co-founder of JetSetGo, Kanika Tekriwal says that the idea was born out of a need of the market for the the lack of transparency and opaque models of private aviation. She believed that if such shortcomings can be resolved, opportunities to scale up a trusted customer base will be limitless.
Finding Calling For Aviation Kanika found her way into aviation business from design, determination and a denial to give in to fate. After completing her schooling from The Lawrence School, Lovedale in Ooty she started pursuing visual communication and design at the BD Somani Institute of Art & Fashion Technology in Mumbai in 2006. During her time in college, Kanika started a part-time creative job at Indiabulls, which had started to set up its own aviation division.
As a child, she grew up imagining herself to become a pilot. Much interestingly, a helicopter had an emergency landing on the roof of her Bhopal residence, which turned out as her first encounter with a chopper as a child.
In 2009, she went to complete an MBA at Coventry University in UK, where she bagged a job at Aerospace Resources, a UK-based aviation consultancy firm. Her assignments with the firm brought her in close association with air charter companies in India.
Fight Against Cancer and Structuring JetsetgoAfter returning to India in 2011, Kanika had to undergo chemotherapy for nine months as she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer that affects the lymphatic system. The doctor told her that she had limited time ahead in her life. But the young entrepreneur, refused to give in to this fate and fought back against it with her fullest strength. Infact the 27 year old CEO affirmed that she moved to Delhi immediately after her recovery from cancer.
The Modus OperandiThe Delhi based startup does not charge any commission when its services are used to charter a private jet. The aviation company makes revenue by billing customers who book luxury experiences and also through empty leg flights, i.e on return trips of aircraft chartered for a one-way journey.
For the affluent in India, having ceremonies besides corporate travels in flights is a breezed experience. Infact, Jetsetgo has organised birthday party, bachelors parties and pre-wedding photo shoots. The cost of chartering a private jet for a birthday party start at around Rs 60,000 an hour and can even touch Rs 2.5 lakh per hour, depending on the aircraft.
Another notable experience that Tekriwal speaks of is a tailor-made, seven-course meal for a couple who wanted to go on a date in a private jet. The menu included ostrich eggs, crabmeat risotto, parma ham, pâté and flavours from other cuisines. The complete culinary air experience is charged around Rs 5.5 lakh.
Sudheer Perla, Co-founder, JetSetGo says that “Our clientele not only comprises of corporate houses, sports personalities, celebrities or HNIs, but also those who see value in quick and easy connectivity to locations still not served by commercial airlines. The decision to partner with YouWeCan was an easy one because who better to have as an investor than a customer himself. This goes to show the value we are adding as only a customer can understand the bottlenecks we are removing and the market we are opening up.”
The Private jet and helicopter operator also serves as a marketplace for buying, selling, and leasing private aircraft, which includes sale services such as technical inspections, document inspection, connecting with buyers and even negotiating that aircraft. Moreover, they also work with making medical evacuation, air ambulances and helicopter arrangements.
Talks From the InvestorsEarlier in 2015, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh-promoted YouWeCan Ventures acquired an undisclosed stake in JetSetGo. In 2016, the firm raised an undisclosed amount from Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director of Dalmia Bharat Ltd. As per reports, the investment round closed an amount near to $2 million.
The funding is being used to expand the company’s ground presence in key airports, launch inter-city private jet shuttles, air ambulance services and an online platform for helicopter bookings.
Jetsetgo Aviation Services Pvt. Ltd has a customer range which starts with a net worth of $10 million and above which consists of corporate houses, celebrities, politicians and decision makers. The startup has marked the departure from trend of Indian private jets being owned and operated by big business houses or by a handful of dedicated air charter companies.
Guest Author
Anisha Aditya leads editorial initiatives at BW Legal, which is the legal publication of BW Businessworld. She is a Management Consultant with specialisation in International Business Strategies, assessment of bilateral and multilateral trade agreements between countries, the impact of preferential access on industries, and global value chains for private companies and governments. She has also assisted in framing state export strategies.
