Jun 11, 2026 · 1h 48m · innovators-investors
S2Ep12: Decoding New Age Aviation in India with Akasa ft. Belson Coutinho
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gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions
Akasa Air Co-Founder and COO Belson Coutinho explores the technological transformation of Indian civil aviation and details the operational, cultural, and customer-centric strategies driving Akasa's rapid growth during India's aviation 'golden decade.'
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. How this is scored →
Kristian as informed peer 3.0 Guest teaching 4.1 Guest disagreement 0.0 Kristian pushing back 0.0
speaking balance: gold is Kristian, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 1:24:11 Rejecting marketing label on sustainability
Belson firmly pushes back on the host's framing, declaring straight off the bat that sustainability is never used as a marketing tool but comes from genuine organizational conviction.
Hardest push from Kristian ▶ 33:30 Challenging intangible empathy vs cost leadershipAbhay directly questions whether intangible warmth and design can remain a true moat or if brutal cost effectiveness is inevitably the only long-term driver in aviation.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 7:40 Exposing the manual complexity of early aviation workflowsBelson explains in detail how teams had to shadow offline agents to map hundreds of complex scenarios before digital ticketing and payment gateways could even exist in India.
Kristian holds their own ▶ 3:36 Host outlines modern frictionless booking journeyAbhay demonstrates domain familiarity by mapping the entire automated lifecycle from dynamic aggregators and instant check-ins to self-service baggage drops.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Kristian as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Kristian pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episode Highlights and Sneak Preview of Aviation Innovations | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Teaser highlights, podcast introduction, and sponsor reads. There is no conversational interaction between host and guest. | |
| Introducing Belson Coutinho and the Evolution of Flight Booking | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Host Abhay introduces Belson and articulates the evolution of modern flight booking systems before asking about the early digital era. Belson comfortably reflects on his beginnings in customer loyalty. | |
| Pioneering India's First E-Ticketing System and Online Payments | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | Belson provides deep historical context about shadow auditing offline call center and check-in workflows to launch India's first e-ticketing engine in 2004. | |
| Establishing Digital Consumer Trust, Payment Security, and Airport Protocols | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | The host notes COD ticketing and fraud concerns, allowing Belson to educate on the early implementation of fraud risk scores and regulatory airport photo ID protocols. | |
| From Legacy Hurdles to Custom Kiosks and AI Transformation | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Belson describes hacking together early touchscreen airport check-in kiosks using custom PC boxes and contrasts that with today's AI-driven web generation. | |
| Revolutionizing Passenger Servicing and Engagement Through Social Media | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Host brings up Jet's early social media milestones, and Belson explains moving from marketing reach to 30-minute customer service resolutions and Twitter API check-ins. | |
| The Genesis of Akasa Air Amid Global Pandemic Uncertainties | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Belson explains founding Akasa during COVID uncertainty, taking advantage of aircraft availability, grounded talent, and India's underpenetrated 3-4% flyer base. | |
| Four Cultural Pillars and Designing Empathetic Customer Touchpoints | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Host questions whether intangible empathy can act as a defensible moat against low-cost carriers. Belson details Akasa's four cultural pillars, cabin design, and pet travel policies. | |
| Navigating Volatility Through Cost Leadership and Long-Term Scale | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Host asks about external volatility and resilient structures. Belson elaborates on long-term fleet scaling and planning dedicated MRO infrastructure at Noida airport. | |
| Crisis Management: Fire and Ice, Frontline Empowerment, and Transparency | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Host brings up systemic airline turbulence. Belson details his 'fire and ice' operational philosophy, frontline empowerment to halt flights for safety, and radical transparency. | |
| The Golden Decade of Indian Aviation and Infrastructure Expansion | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Host asks whether India is an amazing or difficult market. Belson affirms it is the golden decade of Indian aviation driven by upgraded airport infrastructure and 90%+ load factors. | |
| The Story Behind the Rising A Brand Identity and Marketing | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Belson breaks down the symbolism of the Rising A logo, the choice of sunrise orange and passionate purple, and digital-first marketing. | |
| Co-Creating with Startups to Transform In-Flight Experience and Gear | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Discussion centers on partnering with agile consumer startups like Yoga Bar and Uppercase to co-create tailored in-flight snacks and ergonomic crew luggage. | |
| Embedding Genuine Sustainability and Structural Inclusivity in Aviation Operations | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Belson details operational sustainability choices, eliminating traditional ceremonial water gun salutes, using recycled pet bottles in uniforms, and standardizing attire across ranks. | |
| Transitioning from Customer Experience Leader to Chief Operating Officer | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Host queries Belson's unconventional path from CX/marketing to Chief Operating Officer; Belson outlines how a customer service mindset redefines operations into service excellence before heading into rapid-fire. |
Statements from this episode (17)
Coutinho: Airline Team Launched First IATA E-Ticket Booking in April 2004
“I think in 2004 was our first online booking with the IATA defined e-tickets came into play. I remember in April of 2004 we just launched it late in the evening and we suddenly saw somebody book his first ticket”
Indian Airport ID Checks Began to Prevent E-Ticket Printout Fraud
“When you have an online ticket, you had to print it. Anybody could make four copies of it. So we had to work with the security forces, the airport, put a system in place. You had to use your photo ID to enter. So those are the systems and processes we put in w…”
Coutinho: Airline Integrated Twitter APIs Allowing Passengers to Check In via Tweet
“We build a connect with Twitter, working with the team in India where consumers can check in on Twitter. So you didn't have to go to an airline website. And the thought process that time was, at least the way I thought was, you got to be where the consumer is.…”
Only 3% to 4% of Indians Currently Fly by Air
“Just about three to four percent of Indians fly by air.”
Coutinho: Akasa Air Replaced Cabin Crew High Heels With Sneakers
“Whether deciding on day one that there's no way our crew are going to wear high heels and spend hours on, on a plane or at the airport. So sneakers came in.”
Coutinho: Akasa Air Cabins Are 40% Quieter Than Older Aircraft
“They make almost 40%, the 40, our cabin is 40% quieter than the aircraft that we would have flown in the past.”
Akasa Air Has Transported Nearly 10,000 Pets on Its Flights
“And you know, we've flown almost about 10,000 pets so far.”
Coutinho: Akasa Air Provides Braille Menus and Safety Instruction Cards
“A food menu in Braille. We have our safety instruction cards in Braille. So if you're visually impaired, you can request for one.”
Any Akasa Employee Can Halt Takeoff Over a 1% Safety Risk
“The empowerment goes even to a level where every employee, no matter where you sit, where you work, if you believe there's even a one percent risk Of safety. You can stop a plane from taking off. No questions asked.”
Akasa Air Has Maintained 90%+ Passenger Load Factors Since Inception
“Since inception, Akasa has been doing about 90% plus in terms of load factors.”
Coutinho: Akasa Air Launched Exclusively via Digital Channels and Press Without Billboards
“We didn't do big ad campaigns to launch the airline. Because we are a digital first airline. Right. And we launched this purely on digital platforms. So there was, there were no large ad campaigns that you would have seen on billboards and stuff like that. It …”
Coutinho: No New Airline Had Entered the Indian Market for Over Five Years
“There was, the good part was there was no airline that came in for at least five, six years before, or even longer than that in India.”
Coutinho: Adidas designed custom crew sneakers for Akasa Air
“We found a good partner in Adidas who have now designed the sneakers that the famous iconic three stripes. Adidas shoes. So we've just take it, taken it to the next level.”
Akasa Air Saved 500,000 Liters of Water Skipping Ceremonial Aircraft Salutes
“Through that initiative of ours, we've saved, I think the last count ahead was almost half a million liters of water that we've saved by not doing that.”
Akasa Air Crew Uniforms Are Made from Recycled Marine PET Bottles
“Our crew uniform is made out of recycled material, which is pet bottles source from marine waste, and it, it's made into the material that we use.”
Coutinho's College-Age Daughter Proposed Akasa Air's Signature Crew Sneakers
“When we were building the airline we were just few of us. It was a secret project. I wanted somebody to help me without letting our secrets out that you're working on an airline brand. And my daughter was in college. She was I said, would you like to intern an…”