About the Author
Capt. G.R. Gopinath is the founder and chairman and managing director of Deccan 360. Prior to starting Deccan 360, Capt. Gopinath had setup Air Deccan, India’s first low-cost airline, in 2003.
Born in 1951, in a remote village of Karnataka’s Hassan district, Capt. Gopinath studied in a Kannada-medium village school till class VII. He later studied at the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) and in 1971 he was commissioned as an officer in the Indian Army and served in the Bangladesh Liberation War. He resigned from the army after eight years of service and decided to chart a new path for himself. In May 2006 he was knighted with ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur’, the highest civilian award conferred by the French government. Among other awards and honours he has also been conferred the ‘Laureate Award’ in the Outstanding Global CEO category by Aviation Week, New York.
Praise for the Book
‘Simply Fly is a riveting story of a serial Indian entrepreneur. It is inspiring. We can all learn practical lessons.’
—Ram Charan, author, teacher, business consultant,
‘Economic Times Global Indian of the Year, 2008-2009’
‘The Common Man has spoken. And it is as inspirational as the very best of the best, overwhelming with generosity and a keenness of spirit that is as deeply Indian as it is universal. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable life, which reminds the reader that beyond achievement lies fulfillment, beyond material goods a greater good.’
—Kunal Basu, University Reader in Marketing,
Said Business School at University of Oxford, and acclaimed novelist
‘After reading this book, I feel it is an eminently suitable guide for entrepreneurs and could be prescribed as a textbook in all management and entrepreneurial development institutions in the country, since it is an Indian experience. It is my hope that this book will help inspire readers to take challenges as they come and explore new vistas in life.’
—Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India
‘Simply Fly is an inspirational account of an entrepreneur’s journey. Here is a story full of “heart, gut, energy and enterprise”. Lucidly written, this is a must read for those who want to understand the entrepreneurial revolution in India.’
—Prof C.K. Prahlad
From the Reviews of Simply Fly
‘If there was a statue of Captain Gopinath anywhere, thousands of Indians would be lining up to offer garlands of gratitude.’
—India Today
‘Simply Fly should be made compulsory reading in Indian business schools, and by anyone who has ever thought of striking out on his/her own.’
—Man’s World
‘Not all autobiographies written by famous men necessarily have literary merit—but Captain Gopinath is a brilliant writer and he has a fascinating story to tell.’
—Indian Express
‘When you flip the last page of Simply Fly, you come away with the image of a man who is a maverick, but who also enjoys the simple pleasures of life— until the next big idea strikes him.’
—Deccan Herald
‘Simply Fly teaches some good lessons for management students and others as well.’
—Outlook Money
‘Simply Fly is an entertaining and lucid account of how the retired army officer built one of India’s great brands.’
—Open
‘Simply Fly is a story of triumph over adversity.’
—The Pioneer
‘Simply Fly is a competent piece of work—racy and engaging.’
—Business Standard
‘Capt. Gopi’s autobiography answers key questions.’
—Mint
‘A searingly honest account of an overachiever—a warts and all book.’
—Mail Today
‘There are plenty of takeaways from the book but the most important of them is the hope it gives to several entrepreneurs who are struggling to see their dreams come true.’
—Business Line
My father at my school in Gorur
My (7th from left front row) passing out parade at the IMA on 12 June 1971
My wedding day
At my silkworm-rearing house with my brother Sampath
When my bullock-cart was my most trusted transport before my chopper!
Unique modes of advertising—anything to sell!
My silkworms and my family shared this house for many years
My first car—the Dodge Kingsway 1955—which the village boys prophetically called the ‘aeroplane car’!
In my political avatar—serving dinner to Atal Bihari Vajpayee at my house in Hassan
With Henry Mintzberg, the maverick management thinker
When there was time, it was family time—with Pallavi, Bhargavi and Krithika
The helicopter in my farm—from bullock-cart to the helicopter
With David Rockefeller and Capt. Valsaraj
John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, frequently used our helicopters visiting temples and holy shrines. Seen here with Swami Kaleshwar
With Capt. Samuel and my angel investor S.M. Ladhani
With my buddies Capt. Sam and Vishnu
With Warwick Brady and Mohan Kumar, the man who revolutionized and innovated aviation financing
Long queues for Air Deccan tickets
One of my favourite advertisements from the marketing campaign of Deccan Aviation
Air Deccan not only broke the cost barrier but the caste and class barrier to flying
Snow-capped mountains at Dharamsala
I always made it a point to speak to the passengers
The Dalai Lama with Capt. Jayanth Poovaiah
The Air Deccan mascot—R.K. Laxman’s the ‘Common Man’
Air Deccan overtakes Indian Airlines!
A new revolution with Deccan 360
First published in hardback in India in 2009 by Collins Business
An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers India
a joint venture with
The India Today Group
First published in paperback in 2011
Copyright © Capt. G.R. Gopinath 2009, 2011
ISBN: 978-93-5029-155-9
Epub Edition © June 2012 ISBN: 9789350295069
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Capt. G.R. Gopinath asserts the moral right
to be identified as the author of this work
The views and opinions expressed in this book are the author’s own and the facts are as reported by him, and the publishers are not in any way liable for the same.
Gopi’s Farm © Henry Mintzberg 2003
All rights reserved under The Copyright Act, 1957. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this ebook on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins Publishers India.
Cover design: Pinaki De
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