“Tu driver banegi?” was the response Kanika Tekriwal received when she told her family she wanted to become a pilot. The answer was a “no” firm since she is from a Marwari family, a community known for its business acumen. Although her dream of flying planes was cut short early, it didn’t end her relationship with aviation. Instead of letting the setback define her, Tekriwal took a different course – one that would eventually place her at the helm of India’s private aviation industry.
Today, she is the co-founder and CEO of JetSetGo and one of the judges on Shark Tank India Season 5, set to premiere on January 5.
From Rs 5,600 to Rs 420 crore net worth
Tekriwal, who is the CEO of JetSetGo, once revealed that her fascination with the planes began when she was just four years old. “I think I was four when I first saw a helicopter land. That’s when my love for planes began.”
She dreamt of sitting in the cockpit herself. But when her dream of becoming a pilot was denied, she began thinking of other ways to stay connected to the skies. “But I come from a Marwari family. My parents thought, ‘Driver banegi?’ and it was a no,” she revealed, before adding that this very rejection inspired her to do something in aviation.
That thinking led to a simple idea – buy private jets and rent them out. Holding on to that vision, she went on to found JetSetGo in 2014, at just 21 years old.
While she believed deeply in the idea, convincing others was far harder. “The time when I started my business, nobody understood it. I had a lethal combination—I was a girl, 21, in an industry dominated by men,” she told TOI.
She said that when she visited airports to inspect planes, people often assumed she was part of the cabin crew, given her age and gender.
“People would ask me, ‘Ma’am, are you in the cabin crew?’ I loved the colour red. I often wore red and carried red bags.”
Raising funds proved to be another uphill battle. “Everybody shut the door on my face. Only one person believed in me,” she said. But years later, Tekriwal sees that rejection as a blessing in disguise.
“A lot of people ask me how I did this without raising money,” Kanika said, adding, “Till date, I have invested only Rs 5,600, and we operate India’s largest fleet of private jets.”
‘Goalpost can never be met because…’
Launched in 2013, JetSetGo manages one of India’s largest private aviation fleets and operates across major cities. The company is headquartered in Delhi, with operational bases in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.
In an interview with India Today, Tekriwal spoke about the quiet sense of fulfilment she experiences in moments of self-belief.
“That satisfactory look when you wake up and look into the mirror thinking that I have done it,” she said, before adding that the drive to keep building is what motivates her every day.
“I have to keep up the faith of my team, investors and people, and give back to them and make them feel proud.”
She said that “the goalpost can never be met” because it keeps shifting.
Education and early career
Before launching JetSetGo, Tekriwal built a strong foundation in aviation and finance. She served as Director of Operations at Global Aviation Company from 2011 to 2013 and worked as Business Development Manager (India) at Pacific Aerospace Resources and Technologies (PART) between 2009 and 2011. She also held the role of Assistant Vice President at Indiabulls.
Tekriwal holds an MBA in Finance from Coventry University in England, a BA in Economics from Mumbai University, and has studied visual communication and design at BD Somani Institute of Art & Fashion Technology. She completed her schooling at The Lawrence School, Lovedale, and Daly College.