This is the second autobiography i have read, but the first one to complete! I really hate myself for not being to able to complete a book,a very bad habit to inculcate.I happened to see this book in the library in the New arrival section and i had set my eyes on the book. So rather than using my library card for issuing subject related books i got "Simplyfly"
I kept the book for three weeks! I couldn't find time to read it, well being a MBA student i have been told that giving this excuse is the biggest mistake you can do! But honesty comes with a price doesn't it? I finally finished this book and must say felt enriched after reading the autobiography.
This book is a story of a simple middle class guy born in a orthodox family in Karnataka,here i could easily relate to him,since i am also from karnataka and we both are from the same caste too! He completed his schooling from a sainik school and joined NDA and later IMA Dehradun. He has beautifully narrated his young age and how Military taught him discipline and how really an army soldier feels when he is at the border.
I felt good to read about a soldier and how he fought in the Bangladesh war and his Himalayan posting days, then he resigned from military and took to Farming!! A unusual decision but the way he has rationaled it made me agree to his view point.For about 5 years he was dedicated to Farming and espicially Organic farming, he has beautifully described the future and throughout the book he quotes some classic poets and writers which clearly suggest how well read he is.
Then he ventured into Hotel business and then enfield dealership and later into Politics ,he always had something on his plate never to be bogged down to routine life. Thats a wonderful quality i would love to inculcate,then finally he started Deccan helicopter business and the confidence he has shown in starting the business without any capital is commendable.
I felt his political connections helped him immensely to get past the labryinth of red tapism in our country,but he never lost his integrity by bribing the officials, thats truly inspiring.
He has shared some beautiful experiences of his helicopter business and how it transformed that sector in the country and after that he set his eyes on airline with main focus being to fly the common man. The way he set out to do the work is astounding, miliary discipline surely helped him great deal in his endevours. His book then explains how he started Air deccan and how it revolutionalised the passenger airline industry ( Effect of being a MBA student: Need to be specific about the industry!)
In the last part of the book he explains how Vijay Mallya tried unsuccessfully to acquire his airways and how he tried to solve many problems his airways was facing. Then due to many indsutrial effects he finally had to agree to mallya and they made the deal worth billions on a phone call ~Phew~ Both Mallya and Gopinath are two extremes when it comes to lifestlye and this marriage was not going to be successful but nevertheless it had to happen. Finally Gopinath resigned from his executive post and allowed Mallya to rule.
In hindsight a few mistakes cost gopinath his airlines but he played a huge part in bringing the LCC( Low cost carriers) concept to india, i mean bringing it successfully. He has now started his cargo business "Deccan 360" whose concept he got while he was running air deccan, he has capitalised on his learnings from life.
Its a great book and i am sure you will love it and it would be hard to put it down, you will learn a lot from it. Do get a copy for yourslf.
( Sorry for grammatical mistakes and my excellent 'Hinglish' I suffer from a fear called Englophobia :) :))
