Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Indian budget airline IndiGo lays off 10 per cent of staff over pandemic

India's largest budget airline IndiGo said on Monday (20) it was laying off 10 percent of its workforce in the wake of the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

IndiGo rose quickly to capture nearly half the domestic market in recent years, reaping big profits on the back of a booming local aviation sector.


But the carrier said earlier that cost-cutting measures including salary cuts and unpaid leave had not offset the severe economic impact of the global health crisis, which has shuttered airports and reduced air travel to a fraction of its peak.

"From where things stand currently, it is impossible for our company to fly through this economic storm without making some sacrifices," chief executive Ronojoy Dutta said in a statement.

"After carefully assessing and reviewing all possible scenarios, it is clear that we will need to bid a painful adieu to 10 percent of our workforce."

IndiGo employs around 24,000 people, according to local media.

Carriers around the world have been badly hit by the pandemic, with many filing for bankruptcy, implementing hefty cuts or asking governments for huge public rescue plans.

More For You

John Xavier

In 2019, Xavier founded London Baron Limited, with Manavatty as its flagship product.

John Xavier

How John Xavier turned Kerala’s traditional arrack into Manavatty — a rising UK spirits brand

Highlights

  • Manavatty now available in over 250 off-licence shops across the UK and expanding to 20 countries.
  • Brand won bronze at London Spirits Competition 2025 and Spirit Bronze 2025 at International Wine and Spirit Competition.
  • Scottish National Party auctioned signed Manavatty bottles at Edinburgh for party fundraising.
When Scotland's first minister John Swinney signed a bottle of Manavatty at the Scottish National Party convention in Edinburgh on (November 15), it marked an extraordinary milestone for an entrepreneur who had resurrected a spirit banned in his native Indian state.
With Scotland's SNP elections approaching in 2026, the party selected Manavatty for their traditional fundraising auction, a recognition that few immigrant-founded brands achieve.

"It's a tradition for the SNP political party to keep a product at an auction and take the funds for party welfare," explains John Xavier, the man behind this unlikely success story.

John Xavier Manavatty was selected for SNP's traditional fundraising auctionJohn Xavier

Keep ReadingShow less