IndiGo's CEO Pieter Elbers steps down; Rahul Bhatia takes over
Big changes at IndiGo: CEO Pieter Elbers has stepped down just months after the airline's major flight cancelation crisis.
To steady the ship, co-founder and managing director Rahul Bhatia is now taking over as interim CEO while the search for a permanent replacement gets underway.
Who is Rahul Bhatia?
Bhatia, 66, helped launch InterGlobe (IndiGo's parent company) back in 1989 and has played a huge role in building IndiGo into India's top airline.
With an engineering background from Canada and an estimated net worth of about $6.5 billion as of March 2026 (estimates vary), he knows his way around both business and aviation.
What challenges does Bhatia face?
IndiGo is still recovering from last year's chaos: more than 1,000 flight cancelations and refunds worth ₹827 crore have put it under serious scrutiny from aviation authorities.
Bhatia now faces the challenge of restoring stability, keeping flights on time, and making sure passengers aren't left stranded again—all while finding IndiGo's next leader.