From Battling Cancer at 22 to Being the Owner of India’s Largest Private Jet Company: This Woman Entrepreneur’s Resilient Journey to Success

Kanika Tekriwal is the founder of JetSetGo, India’s largest private jet, helicopter management and chartered services business worth 500 million.

Hailing from a typical Marwari family and growing up hearing about the nitty-gritty of the business world, Kanika Tekriwal always knew that she would always end up as an entrepreneur. It was while doing her MBA that she realized the scope of a charter flying market in India. She returned home in hope of starting something related to a charter flying company, but tragedy struck as she was diagnosed with stage-2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at the age of 22.

Although she recovered from it, her protective family was doubtful about her shifting to Delhi and starting a business all on her own. But Kanika was adamant and she started her business. It was not easy as many told her that the business of aeroplanes was no place for a woman. She was often told to start a boutique or bake cupcakes instead. But Kanika did not get discouraged.

From dispatching planes to understanding how the system works, she did it all herself. And in just 8 months the 26-year-old entrepreneur had won a contract to manage 20 private jets. Her USP was to provide affordable private planes to all customers and make customer satisfaction her main goal. 

Having started with just ₹5,600, today her company ‘JetSetGo’ manages the largest fleet in India without actually owning it. There are 150 private plane operators in India and Kanika works with almost all of them.

The company ‘JetSetGo’ is often referred to as ‘the Uber of the skys’ and they provide charter customers with choice, transparency and the flexibility of booking on both web and mobile platforms. JetSetGo offers the shortest wait time for an aircraft and, in the rare case of unscheduled maintenance, it has the unrivalled ability to provide you with a substitute aircraft in the shortest amount of time. 

“In 2020-21 we handled 1 lakh flyers and operated 6000 flights. Our clients are mostly corporates, celebrities, politicians, and people of importance. We offer a range of charter flights, from a six-seater to 18-seater plane,” says Kanika.

Kanika has been recognised by ‘Forbes’ – 30 Under 30’ as one of Asia’s leading Entrepreneurs. She is considered one of the 100 most prominent and inspirational women in the world

-Staff Reporter