Dr. Venkataramani Sumantran is the Chairman and Non-Executive Independent Director of the Company. Dr. Sumantran, is a business leader, technocrat and academic, having worked in the USA, Europe, and Asia through a career spanning over 37 years. He is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of Celeris Technologies, a strategic advisory firm engaged in the domains of automotive, mobility, digital transformation, and technologies. He also serves on the Boards of Rane Holdings Limited, and TVS Electronics Limited.
Until 2014, he was the Executive Vice-Chairman of Hinduja Automotive (UK) and the Vice Chairman of Ashok Leyland Limited. Previously, from 2001 to 2005, Dr. Sumantran was the Executive Director at Tata Motors Limited and Chief Executive of the Passenger Car Business during its formative years. Earlier, Dr. Sumantran had a 16-year career with General Motors, starting in the Research & Development (R&D) Centre in Detroit and subsequently as Director, Advanced Engineering at General Motors, Europe. He has served on the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India, and the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Indian Cabinet. Most recently, he served as the Lead-Member of the Consultative Group on Future Transportation at the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. He also served as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at IIT Madras and Adjunct Professor at MIT MISI.
A recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award at IIT Madras, Dr. Sumantran went on to acquire a PhD degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master’s degree in Management of Technology. He obtained his private pilot’s licence at the age of 19 years, and has remained a keen follower of aviation and aerospace technologies.
Ms. Pallavi Shardul Shroff is a Non-Executive Independent Director of the Company. Ms. Shroff is the Managing Partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. with over 37 years of extensive experience. Her broad and varied representation of public and private corporations and other entities, before various national courts, tribunals and legal institutions has earned her national and international acclaim. She is a member of the Competition Law Review Committee, constituted by the Government of India. Ms. Shroff has been closely involved with some of the most challenging litigation and arbitration matters in India. She appears regularly in the Supreme Court and High Courts of India, and in arbitrations, mediations and international legal disputes. She has recently been appointed on the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Court of Arbitration. She is presently a Director on the Boards of prestigious companies viz. Apollo Tyres Ltd., Trident Ltd., Asian Paints Ltd and One97 Communications Ltd (Paytm).Ms. Shroff was recently conferred the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Chambers India Awards 2019 and also been recognised as one of the Most Powerful Women in Indian Business by Business Today, seven years in succession (2013-19).
Mr. Vikram Singh Mehta is currently Chairman and Distinguished Fellow of CSEP (Centre for Social and Economic Progress). He was the Executive Chairman of Brookings Institution India Center and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution from 2012 to 2020. Prior to that, he was the Chairman of the Shell Group of Companies in India (1994–2012); Chief Executive of Shell Markets and Shell Chemicals, Egypt (1992–1993); and Advisor, Strategic Planning to the State–owned Company, Oil India Limited (1984 –1988). He started his career by joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1978 and resigned from the Service in 1980. Mr. Mehta is an Independent Director on the Boards of a number of companies including Larsen and Toubro Limited, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, Colgate Palmolive India Limited, Apollo Tyres Limited, HT Media Limited and Jubilant FoodWorks Limited. He is also on the Boards of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, Overseers of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and the Global Advisory Board of Macro Advisory Partners. Mr. Mehta was the recipient of Asia House's "Businessmen Of The Year” award for 2010. He also received Asia Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability’s Award for “Best Independent Director” in India for 2016.
ACM B. S. Dhanoa (Retd.) is an alumnus of St. George's College, Mussoorie. He then moved to Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and later joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) in June 1974. He graduated from the Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1977. Post his flying training, he was commissioned in the Fighter Stream of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in June 1978. In 1985, he carried out the All-Purpose Flying Instructors Course (APFIC) and then attained the highest-Flying Instructor's Category ‘A’ in 1987. He completed M. Sc. in Defence Studies from Madras University and attended a Defence Services Staff College Course in 1990–91. He has an illustrious career with the IAF and has served at various ranks. He served as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of South-Western Air Command before taking over as the Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) in May 2015. He served as the 25th Chief of the IAF from January 1, 2017, to September 30, 2019, and led the IAF when it executed air strikes over a terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019. He has been awarded with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2016, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015, Yudh Seva Medal 1999 and Vayu Sena Medal in 1999. Amongst various other achievements, the fighter squadron he commanded was one of the most decorated unit of the IAF during the Kargil conflict, due to his excellent leadership. He is currently an Independent Director on the Board of Hero MotoCorp Limited from October 2020 and also an Independent Director with HMC MM Auto Limited.
Rahul Bhatia is the Group Managing Director of InterGlobe Enterprises. He is also the Promoter and Managing Director of InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo), India's largest airline. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.
Rahul established InterGlobe in 1989 with its flagship business of Air Transport Management. With experience of over three decades in the travel industry, it is under his stewardship that InterGlobe has diversified its portfolio, which now includes Aviation (IndiGo), Hospitality, Logistics, Technology, Airline Management, Advanced Pilot Training and Aircraft Maintenance Engineering.
In 2011, Rahul was recognized as the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by Ernst & Young and also by The Economic Times. In the same year, he received ‘The Outstanding Start-Up’ award at the Forbes India Leadership Awards as well. In 2016, he was featured on the Forbes ‘Global Game Changers’ list.
Mr. Meleveetil Damodaran, Non-Executive Director, IAS (Retd.), presently a Governance Consultant, Advisor, Mentor and Coach, has worked with the Union and the State Governments of India, regulatory bodies, investment institutions, banks, development financial institutions and with the private sector. He was Chairman of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from February 2005 to February 2008. He has led the highly successful and transformational restructuring efforts in Unit Trust of India (UTI) and Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI). During his tenure at SEBI, he was elected Chairman of the Emerging Markets Committee (EMC) of the International Organisation of Securities Commission (IOSCO). He has chaired high powered committees of the Government of India, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and some Chambers of Commerce. He has won several awards for governance, leadership and transformation. He presently sits on the Boards of some of India's biggest companies and on the Advisory Boards of some foreign entities. He was the Founder Chairman of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Tiruchirappalli. He is widely acknowledged as one of India's foremost champions of Corporate Governance and is passionate about improving Board performance. Mr. M. Damodaran is a retired IAS officer who graduated with distinction in Economics and in Law from the Universities of Madras and Delhi respectively. He is on the Boards of Biocon Limited, Larsen and Toubro Limited, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Limited.
He was an Independent Director and Chairman of the Company from January 24, 2019 to May 3, 2022.
Mr. Anil Parashar, a Non Executive Director, is a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and is a graduate in Economics from Delhi University. He has previously been a Director of the Company for a period from May 30, 2007 to March 26, 2015. Mr. Parashar has extensive operational and financial experience in handling various aspects of business including raising funds, capital restructuring, mergers & acquisitions, statutory compliances, investor relations and long term planning. He is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer & Whole time Director of InterGlobe Technology Quotient Private Limited (ITQ). Prior to this, he was the Group Chief Finance Officer at InterGlobe Enterprises Limited. He is a member of InterGlobe group’s Executive Committee and holding various positions on the Boards of several InterGlobe group companies. He is credited with over 30 years of rich experience including leadership positions at Swiss Air and Asbestos Cement Company. He is Chairman, Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHD Chambers of Commerce & Senior member Advisory Committee of Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council.
Mr. Gregg Albert Saretsky is a Non Executive Director of the Company. An aviation industry veteran, with an illustrious career spanning over 36 years, Mr. Saretsky is presently associated with Wood Buffalo Economic Development Corporation, Fort Mcmurray, AB as Director and Chairman of the Board (since June 2018) and RECARO Holding GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany as Director, Advisory Board (since October 2018) and Lead Independent Director, SABRE, Dallas Texas (since July 2020).
Mr. Saretsky has been the President and CEO of WestJet, Calgary, Alberta (Canada) for 8 years, from March 2010 to March 2018. In this role, he was responsible for providing strategic direction to the organisation, as well as for financial management of the company. He has been instrumental in playing a pivotal role in management of shareholder and board relations, public relations, internal & external communications, labour relations, and employee engagement. During his term, the size of the airline was doubled and revenues were diversified from a regional base in Western Canada to a network of more than 100 cities in 17 countries. WestJet was recognized as Canada’s on-time airline and multi-year winner of Waterstone Capital’s “Most Admired Corporate Culture” award. Under his leadership, WestJet was awarded Trip Advisor’s Traveller’s Choice Award for “Best Airline in Canada,” “Canada’s Most Trusted Airline” from The Gustavson School of Business, and one of Canada’s “Top 3 Brands” by Canadian Business Magazine.
Prior to WestJet, Mr. Saretsky was associated with Alaska Airlines, Seattle, Washington (USA) from March 1998 till December 2008. From February 2007 to December 2008, he was Executive Vice-President, Operations and assumed the position of COO with added responsibilities for in-flight, flight operations, dispatch and system operations control personnel and the airline's relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Mr. Saretsky holds a degree in Advanced Management International Management from University of Alberta, Banff, Alberta. He has also done MBA - Finance & Marketing and BSc- Microbiology & Biochemistry from University of British Columbia, Vancouver.