Garibh Radh

Vijay Mallya's loss is Lalu's gain. Aviation industry is witnessing a huge slump as the economic crisis hits Indian shores. The cost of travelling by plane is very high when compared to rail and hence rail is the new fashion. Lalu is ensuring that the ambience in first class matches to the taste of the elite executives who are habituated to the service on the plane. Clean linen, 24*7 water, AC, security, power sockets, quality food and Internet connection are in the offing. The passengers are not complaining. 

The same applies to roadways. 

Bus ticketing company Ticketvala.com has also seen a 15-20% growth across all networks in weekend bookings in December and January compared to the same period a year ago. “Due to the tightening of budget, people are now travelling more and more in buses as it is one-third the cost of an air ticket,” says Mr Haranath Lokanathan, CEO, Ticketvala.com. 

With the economic slowdown, people are becoming a lot more conscious about their travel budgets. Consumers cascade when certain changes effect the market. This is a strategic inflection point and the firm should be ready for the same. Are you ready for the inflection?