The airlines is perhaps the only one in the world to be running completely on public cloud architecture
RAVINDER PAL SINGH
TATA SINGAPORE AIRLINES ( AIR VISTARA )
Importance and focus remains consistent in terms of modernising and running infrastructure and core systems while driving digital innovation and creating disruptions via application/ platform portfolio aligned to business profitability. The only observation I have that lately few CIOs are either turning into CEOs or have become trusted advisors to CEOs while few have taken a path of entrepreneurship.
Aviation industry is one of the most volatile ones in the world, given the rapidly shifting dynamics the airlines have the face every passing day. Yet if a company decides to enter the space at a time when most incumbents are struggling to survive, they need to be miles ahead of competition in terms of technology and execution.
Take the case of Air Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. Touted as one of the best airlines in the country at the moment with less than three years of operations, the airline is doing all it takes to differentiate itself with the help of technology.
Ravinder Pal Singh, Chief Information and Innovation Officer, Tata Singapore Airlines (Air Vistara), is the man tasked with handling this mission for the airline. Vistara is an airline born in Cloud, thus arguably the only one in the world whose end-to-end infrastructure is on 100 percent Public Cloud architecture. “We have created the only airline in the world which is on Cloud,” explains Singh, adding, “We have a rich portfolio of AI, AR, Bots, Big Data and Robotics which are solving simple and complex problems ranging from knowing different attributes of the customer or identifying the profitable routes. We are working on various initiatives which will be first in the history of airline domain.”
Vistara is a modern open workplace. It is a boundary-less organisation so employees do not face normal inter or intra departmental legacy problems. The airline has innovation and thoughtful as its core value which is driving force for all to collaborate. “Digital drives revenues for us,” says Singh.
Vistara commenced operations on January 9, 2015 with its inaugural flight between Delhi and Mumbai. As of May 2017, it has a 3.3 per cent share of the domestic carrier market, making it the sixth largest domestic airline. This is despite the airlines having a fleet of just 16 aircrafts. The airlines flies to 19 destinations with a fleet of Airbus A320-200 aircrafts. Vistara was the first airline to introduce premium economy seats on domestic routes in India.
While most would assume that Indians only want cheapest flights, Vistara entered the market with a premium offering and has till date maintained a premium flying experience in the country while rapidly taking away marketshare from low-cost airlines. The use of digital technologies, therefore, played a big role in providing this premium experience to the customer while keeping a tab on the costs.
Singh, who also takes care of the entire IT operations for the airline, feels the role of CIO is rapidly changing and in the classical sense, he will not define himself as a CIO too.
Comments