India's Growth Story At The Airport

October 13, 2025

Every time I see people taking photos of an aircraft before boarding, it reminds me of India’s growth story. The fact that there are still people who are taking their first flight means Indian economy has grown to allow this person to take a flight. You hardly ever see this in EU. Doesn’t that make you hopeful for the future in India?

I remember my first flight – I even remember my parents’ first international trip. Nowadays it all seems so much easier than it used to be. The fact is, it is not easier, it is that the economic growth over the last twenty years happened right in front of us.

I recall a taxi ride with an ex-colleague who lived his entire life in Calgary, Canada. I asked him if he notices any difference in the day-to-day from how it used to be when he was a child. In fact, he said not only did things not change, he often sees his parents also recall the same experiences. While that in itself, is not good or bad, the fact that economic change is not common first occurred to me in that taxi ride.

Air travel was rare and luxurious. We hardly ever went out to restaurants for meals. Studying abroad or moving to a different country seemed unrealistic. Medications needed traveling to different cities. We saved more than we spent, we spent cautiously, we expected hardships. Our food habits incorporated scarcity – we ate what we could afford – the Sunday lunch was special because of the one day we allowed ourselves meat curry. Buses were the norm, taxis were special. Car ownership was a milestone in life. We had TVs, but only few had large screens. We shared our toys and handed them down. We learnt that wanting is mutually exclusive of happiness. We smiled not because we had things but because we had each other.

Look at the world now. Coffee in Bangalore is costlier than in Amsterdam. Air travel is the default. Eating out is the norm. We cook what we want to eat, we plan holidays to exotic places, and we buy what we want. All fueled by India’s growth story. My grandfather famously said that his pension was a larger sum of money than his salary during his working years.

Like many others, we are used to India growing while we became adults. Yet, the whole of India did not – not at the same time. So if you see someone’s grandpa flying for the first time or someone taking a selfie with an aircraft, know that that is India’s growth in front of you. While you and I have enjoyed some of it for a while, not everyone in India has. We are in this together and we are not there yet. Celebrate the excitement of the first flight. Encourage the selfies. India wins if we all win.

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