IndiGo appoints former AI Express MD Aloke Singh as Chief Strategy Officer
New Delhi (PTI): The country's largest airline IndiGo on Monday announced the appointment of former Air India Express Managing Director Aloke Singh as its Chief Strategy Officer.
The appointment comes two weeks after the sudden resignation of IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers.
Singh, an aviation industry veteran who led Air India Express for over five years, will now report to IndiGo's Managing Director Rahul Bhatia. Once the new CEO takes over, Singh will start reporting to that person.
The board of InterGlobe Aviation, which operates the airline under the name IndiGo, approved Singh's appointment on Monday.
On March 2, Singh told the Air India Express staff that he was departing the airline after his tenure ends on March 19.
"Singh will lead the company's long-term strategic planning function and drive enterprise-wide transformation initiatives focused on accelerating growth, enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening competitive positioning in a rapidly evolving global aviation landscape.
"He will partner closely with the leadership team on cross-functional priorities designed to improve agility, elevate customer experience and deliver sustainable shareholder value," IndiGo said in a statement on Monday.
Bhatia said Singh brings an exceptional blend of strategic vision and operational depth.
"His comprehensive understanding of the aviation ecosystem will be invaluable as we build a more agile, resilient and future-ready organisation, and accelerate our next phase of growth. For now, Aloke will report to me. Once the next CEO assumes office, he will transition to reporting to the new Chief Executive," Bhatia said.
Singh had served at Air India Express as Managing Director and as Chief Executive Officer. He has also held senior leadership positions at Air India and Oman Air.
“I am delighted to join IndiGo at such a pivotal moment for the airline and for Indian aviation broadly. Having redefined India’s domestic and short-haul international aviation landscape, IndiGo is taking its ambitions global.
"I look forward to working with colleagues across the organisation to sharpen our strategic direction, double down on operational excellence and deepen and broaden our markets," Singh said in the statement.
In a message to the staff, Bhatia said Singh would lead the company's mid-to-long-term strategic planning function and drive transformation initiatives focused on accelerating growth, enhancing operational efficiencies and elevating customer experience.
According to Bhatia, Singh would be responsible for synchronising network/ product evolution with the fleet plan, driving long-term strategic projects, including the entry-into-service of the A350-900 into the airline's fleet and the development of hub airports in India to support the global aspirations.
Singh has the distinction of helming Air India Express, which has significantly expanded its operations under the ownership of the government, as well as the Tata Group. Also, his departure will mark a top-level change at the airline after coming under the Tata Group in January 2022.
He joined the then government-owned Air India Express as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on November 9, 2020, and was appointed as the MD for a three-year period on March 19, 2023.
Meanwhile, Pieter Elbers quit as IndiGo CEO citing personal reasons on March 10, and the country's largest airline has relieved him with immediate effect, a development that came three months after massive operational disruptions triggered widespread public outrage and regulatory actions.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
