After a temporary hiccup during the pandemic, the Indian aviation sector since has been on a meteoric growth with supportive government policies and initiatives being introduced to encourage growth. Under National Monetization Pipeline, the government has planned to privatize many of the airports before 2026 with the upcoming greenfield airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, better known as Noida International Airport, being a part of it. Using her extensive experience and knowledge of around 28 years in the Aviation & Hospitality sector, Kiran Jain, COO, Noida International Airport, is pushing for a consumer-first infrastructure with world-class hospitality and facilities. Under her competent guidance, the airport is poised to be one of the most profitable ventures for the partners with a special focus being on enabling seamless and customer-friendly airport processes as well as developing a smooth digitalized process for the logistics and cargo operations.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur, Kiran shares her early industry experience, the future roadmaps as well as changes anticipated in the Indian aviation sector, and much more.

Shed Some Light On Your Early Educational Journey And The Prior Industry Experience That You Bring To The Table.

I spent most of my academic years including my choice of University in all-girl Schools. When you live, learn and play with the same people all the time, they do become your family for life and that teaches you about comradery, a sense of equality, respectful tolerance, fairness, and gender equality. While during my childhood days, cooperation meant "One for all, all for one”, during my business days in America, I realized the same was called “teamwork” in business jargon. Till today, I would say that the mission of the organization comes first to me and I have absolutely no issue in rallying the troops to a goal that is aimed at the larger good of the organization and there by, the nation. I carry these simple life lessons encompassing mutual respect, hard work, gratitude, kindness, and “we win together” as a mantra and that has never failed me. Aviation has taken me around the world, visiting and working in many countries and I could not write a better story even if I tried.

What Are The Various Roles & Responsibilities That You Currently Shoulder At Noida International Airport? What Are Some Of The Major Challenges That You Face In Your Current Role And How Do You Overcome Them?

A confluence of Swiss efficiency and Indian hospitality Noida International Airport is the upcoming greenfield airport at Jewar, Uttar Pradesh which will enhance connectivity to and from Delhi NCR, Noida, and Western UP. As the COO, my key responsibilities involve providing quick, efficient processes at the best value to passengers, airlines, and logistics partners, enabling seamless and customer-friendly airport processes for passengers, cargo, and stakeholders alike, and providing an end-to-end solution for addressing the on-going concern of logistics and cargo operations at airports, providing a clean and well-maintained infrastructure with a comforting ambiance allowing for the airport to become an attraction for users and visitors by providing commercial hubs that are accessible to passengers and non-passengers Sometimes the responsibility itself is a challenge and one must respect everything that comes with it.

"The key to life is to develop an internal moral, emotional gps that can guide you at all times"

Not only do you become an important, integral part of an institution but chances are you become the institution itself. Therefore, it is important to always focus on the task at hand with precision and plan for the future with some flexibility. One should also be open to listening and constantly learning. Ideas are brewing in all sorts of places, it’s unwise not to look for them.

What Are Some Of The Key Business Lessons Or Takeaways That You Have Imbibed Over The Years? What Are Some Of The Major Milestones You Have Achieved In Your Professional Journey So Far? What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success As A Business Leader?

In my opinion, a resume should not just be dotted with accomplishments and positions but should be filled with a purpose. It should convey a story of who you want to be. If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher and higher, the law of averages predicts that you will fall at some point, and when you do, we need to embrace the thought that there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in a different direction. Every experience, encounter, and mistake is there to teach us and force us into becoming better people.

One of the major recognitions that I have received is the Key to the State of Connecticut from the Lieutenant Governor of the State at the time, which is a symbolic gesture suggesting that the State is glad to have you in their midst and that they appreciate your contributions to the development of the State. There is a certain genius in every individual and as leaders, it is our job to spread this uniqueness and magic in such a way that whatever we do has an extraordinary positive fulfilling impact on the lives of others. Connecting people and places is core to my sensitivities and what better profession to be in than travel, a profession which spreads joy.

How Do You Foresee The Indian Aviation & Hospitality Space Evolving In The Near Future? What Steps Do You Take To Keep Noida International Airport Aligned With These Changes?

Indian aviation is poised for meteoric growth, the recovery after the pandemic being a testament. Continued support of government policies and initiatives aimed at encouraging investment and growth on time is what is essential to sustain this belief. The government has announced the need for more airport privatization and as exciting as that is, it is important to also align taxation, FDI norms, bilateral allocations, and air space procedures amongst others.

This is important to meet the demand for dual airport systems within the same air space. A fair yet transparent competitive environment between existing brownfield and upcoming greenfield airports needs to be considered to encourage private investment. Noida International Airport is designed with purpose and infrastructure to encourage digital enablement for all concerned and at the same time move towards green energy sources. The Airport will be the first fully digital airport in India enabling contactless travel and personalized service for everyone. This will include harmonization with the Government’s vision of Digi Yatra encompassing the total passenger journey.

At Noida International Airport, we are not only aligned with the Government’s vision but also poised to go a step ahead.

Kiran Jain, Chief Operating Officer, Noida International Airport

With extensive experience spanning over 28 years in various sectors such as aviation, route development, merchandise marketing, marketing analysis, and sales, Kiran is presently working as the Chief Operating Officer at the upcoming Noida International Airport. An astute, energetic, and team-oriented person with a strong work ethic, she also holds dual Bachelors of Science degrees in International Business and Political Science from Fordham University, Marymount.