IndiGo Airlines: The story of two unlikely partners and their brainchild

Some years ago Gangwal had reportedly said his relationship with Bhatia evolved in an amazing friendship, which he termed "blind trust"

On the surface they are the most unlikely of partners. Rahul Bhatia, the promoter of IndiGo, is known for avoiding the limelight and preferring to shy away from the media or getting photographed, and is soft-spoken but measured in speech.

On the other hand, co-promoter Rakesh Gangwal is known for being aggressive, blunt in putting across his views, and, if he wants, media-savvy.

Those who know him say Gangwal, in an informal discussion, made no bones of the fact that the challenge for the management of IndiGo was to run a 200-plus fleet with a growing international business, which is