Born in a remote village in Karnataka, a prominent officer in the army, an ecologically sharp farmer, Indias leading entrepreneur, independent

politician, acclaimed author this is the man who revolutionized air travel, making it affordable and accessible to everyone in India. To say Captain Gopinath is the whole package would simply be an understatement. Simply Fly is a fairly self-explanatory title for a book documenting the birth of Indias first low cost airline, Air Deccan. Its also the remarkable story of the visionary behind this venture, Captain Gopinath, a pioneer who has given 200% and more in whatever he looks to accomplish. The difference between Simply Fly and the rest of your CEO written autobiographies, this isnt your run of the mill management books that lights the way to a quick buck. Instead, this is an inspiring tale of someone who truly believes in making the impossible, possible, with the future of India and its development always a driving force. To quote the Captain himself Simply Fly is the story of new India, the story of possibility, the story of opportunity.

In Pic: Captain Gopinath

In an exclusive interview with Flipkart Captain Gopinath talks about his humble beginnings as an army officer and farmer, why he choose to pen down his life, the story of Air Deccan, the need for all of us to find our inner light, his relationship with Vijay Mallya, his favourite authors and three books that changed his life What makes Captain Gopinath tick? Its my love of life and a passion for living intensely. To not lose myself in despair but lose myself in action all the time. Enthusiasm in whatever I do and I plunge into venture head long when it grabs my heart more than my mind. Who or what gave you the idea to write Simply Fly? I use to constantly be giving talks in schools, colleges IITs, IIMs, convocations, some of the foreign colleges like Wharton. I would never give a management lecture - I would just tell them what I did, tell them how to be involved with life and how to be passionate about whatever things you do. At the end of it, people would always ask: Captain, why dont you write it? So that it encourages people to pursue their dreams and not to give up. This call became persistent, especially during my senior

management lectures in the larger companies. One day I thought instead of just writing a management book with answers, I thought I must write about the joy of entrepreneurship. The joy of building and creating, to help people pursue their dreams. I thought it was important and I had to get it off my chest. Can you describe what one can learn when they read your book Simply Fly? Not to do what I did, but to pursue your own dreams. To forge your own trail, to live life to the hilt and to do things in a manner in which you leave the world a better place. My book is my story, the story of Air Deccan, the story of new India, the story of possibility, it is the story of opportunity, because theres no real security in this world and theres only opportunity. In India today, for anyone who can dream and put his shoulder to the floor, India is all opportunities. In spite of all the depressing aspects of our politics, bureaucracy and our corruption, in spite of that, my book shows its possible to hope, to build, to create and move forward. The way for any of us, young and old is not to be cynical. It is to build in the midst of the desert and to find joy in it. Air Deccan prided itself in being Indias first low cost carrier offering affordable prices for everyone to fly. Can you tell us why you made it a mission to ensure this was a service available to everyone around the country. I always felt passionate when I shared my life and my work with the farmers I felt that there is a great joy in creating and building, especially for the other India. Ive never stopped being amazed at the the zest the farmers have, in spite of all the odds and tragedies they face. Most of them are very stoic and courageous, theyre part of the earth. Thats why I felt we need to create jobs, we need to create businesses where people can get jobs in other India. I felt that today, there is a need for us to make the other India participate in this economic growth. Somehow theyve been left behind. For me, this gives me an adrenaline rush, to do something in the small towns and villages. Thats when I felt I must link all the unconnected parts of India to the main metros and give a chance to everybody to fly. What are your personal favourite segments in the book? What did you enjoy writing? The early days in my village with my father, my days in the army, in that order. And of course, my life on the farm, when I built a farm from a barren piece of land. Who is your target audience for the book? Largely the new youth of India. One section of them are fortunate, but have become cynical and critical and spend most of their time in pubs and clubs. They need to be pushed to participate in creating and building. The idle of the rich is the biggest crime. On the other hand, there is also the other section of the youth who are unemployed and uneducated from rural India, who are becoming increasingly resentful and feel justified sometimes in taking up to violence and joining Maoism and Naxalism. To tell them, in spite of all the problems of poverty, there is much to admire about our country. To not sit back in hatred, but its possible to break the shackles, break the kind of oppressive circumstances one is put in and its in your hands. Money isnt everything, its energy and enthusiasm that matters most in life. Im aware that a large segment of this group cannot even read my book, which is why the book has just been signed to be published in various regional languages Hindi, Tamil, Kannada. Im also hoping someone makes a movie out of it! What are some of the important life lessons young readers can take from the book? Indefatigable energy, inextinguishable optimism, unrelenting enthusiasm. Throughout my book, youll

see it was my blind optimism which made me do things belief in friendship, belief in the goodness of people. Its because of optimism I rushed headlong into venture after venture. So its all a bout optimism, all about energy and not giving up under any circumstances. I think persistence is more important than talent, and thats more important than capital. So the book doesnt give you specific answers as to how to market, or how to build a company, or how to make money, or how to time the stock market, but it only tells you all the time that you must follow your heart, follow your dreams, build businesses as though youre going to build forever. The aviation business is famous for being an industry in which massive losses are incurred and has a reputation for being more of a status symbol than a cash cow for powerful businessmen what are your thoughts on this perception? Yeah, I think a lot of people get into the aviation business for the glamor of it. But of course for my case, I took the non-glamorous route of building a low cost airline, going to small towns to hire my employees. We had 500 air hostesses who had all come from regionals and villages. We deliberately relied on these smalls towns to link the other India and give connectivity. For me it was more a kind of religion and I was driven by an evangelical zeal with a clear idea of building a company which can create wealth for everybody who were associated with it and at the same time create a new customer value. It was all about expanding the customer base. I think for anybody who gets into businesses today, you have a great opportunity to build for the other India. Through your own personal experiences and from the eventual Deccan-Kingfisher buyout, how would you describe your relationship with business tycoon Vijay Mallya? The passage in which you describe your first encounter in Simply Fly, was humorous and to the point. On a personal level, were good friends, good family friends. I like him hes a very charming man, a very endearing man. But on the business front, were poles apart and much to my dismay I discovered it was a wrong marriage. Your message to young, up and coming entrepreneurs looking to start their own business? You should not analyze too much If you have to overcome all obstacles before you start a venture, I dont think there would be any venture in the world. Theres a point beyond which ana lysis cannot go. It was Tagore who famously said: Mind or logic is like a knife or blade, it breeds the hand that uses it. Theres only up to a point you can have analysis, after that you must rely on your intuition, that inner light that shines to you alone. Only you know the power of that when you try it. Theres a unique power in each individual. Theres a unique light that shines to each of us and we have to learn to listen to that and follow that inner light. Follow your heart, follow what prompts you. Advice to CEOs or industry leaders who arent writers by profession, but still feel the urge to tell their story? If youre writing yourself, I dont think you should write a preachy book as to how to build a company. Rather you should write in the style of Richard Branson or Sam Walton, where they just wrote what they did. With all the pimples and warts and mistakes, you must write honestly, rather than at the end of every chapter giving lessons on the art of business. You tell the story as truthfully as you can, in a personalized manner, in a story format, where you weave it with your personal life, your childhood, people who inspired you and let people take what they want out of it. Rather than writing a management book as a businessmen if youre the subject, because this is very subjective and one tends to be partial to their own mistakes. Somebody else must write about your business, its better a third party write the analysis of your business strengths and weaknesses, about how good or bad a

business you built, or all the mistakes. As far as youre concerned you just write about what you did and be as honest as you can about your story. Youve immersed yourself into many roles over you life army officer, farmer, entrepreneur and politician what has been your favourite guise? I think being a farmer oh, I loved that. I went through hell and saw heaven in the process. Got into debt like all farmers but got out of it. It was a great part of my life being one with the land. Also building and creating something out of nothing, creating a new market, creating a new business, it gives me a great adrenaline rush. Do you have any intentions of writing more maybe a dive into some fiction? When and what can we expect in your second book? Maybe a second book will come out on the few things Ive done that isnt covered in Simply Fly. Right now Im immersed in my new venture, my Deccan Charter company. Where weve just launched three flights a day. Similarly, Im totally involved in my new logistics venture in which Reliance is invested. I also have a couple of business ideas incubating in my mind to create budget hotels and resorts. Maybe a year down down the line something will come up. What has the response for Simply Fly been like? Its overwhelming. Everyday I get emails, letters, phone calls, people who drop into my house wanting to meet me. I get three kinds of letters. One is people who just want to congratulate me and then want me to come and give a talk. There are others who see themselves in me and write saying theyre going through a great problem as an entrepreneur, can they come and discuss solutions with me because theyre in trouble. Third, people come over all the time with a great idea and want me to invest. Of course there are people who are moved Recently somebody came home, a very uneducated entrepreneur who owns a biryani hotel he was selling a plate of biryani for Rs. 1 and on TV was quoted saying Captain Gopi was my inspiration. He came home with a painting of mine , flowers and touched my feet and said You inspired me to be an entrepreneur. These are very touching stories, but I always tell them, in India today were fortunate because in my younger days everybody went to America Today were fortunate to be in a country where there are opportunities everywhere. Which authors have inspired you to become a writer? I admire a variety of authors, but largely Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, John Steinbeck, Albert Camus. Ive always liked the great writers of the past. In terms of Indian authors, RK Narayan has always been a favourite. Three books that have changed your life and why? On the business side the book by Sam Walton on Wal Mart - where he started with a single mom and pop store and went on to build the greatest business in the planet - one man in 50 years. Someone asked him whats the secret of his success and he said If you know where you want to go, then keep at it and youll get there. Of course he doesnt tell you how to build a business, thats not the idea, you have to discover it yourself the point is that its the single minded passion and dedication, the shuradha in him. So yeah, Sam Waltons Made In America - its a great story of entrepreneurship where he built an empire without having to spend any money himself.

Gandhis The Story Of My Experiments With Truth, its a great book where you realize that it is not your money, your physical strength or duty, but its your indomitable will which helps you face life with courage and optimism. The third would be The Myth Of Sisyphus by Albert Camus where you learn that despite all the nihilism and despair of the world, you can find the conviction of will to live with honour, dignity and passion.