Rahul Bhatia (businessman)
Rahul Bhatia (born 1960) is an Indian billionaire businessman who co-founded IndiGo and serves as the group managing director of InterGlobe Enterprises.
Early life and education
Bhatia was born in Nainital, Uttarakhand, India in 1960. His father, Kapil Bhatia, operated a Delhi-based travel agency called Delhi Express. Bhatia is married to Rohini Bhatia.
Bhatia attended the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering.
In 1984, Bhatia returned to India with plans to establish a telecommunications manufacturing venture in partnership with Nortel to produce digital telephone exchanges. The venture was unable to secure regulatory approvals under the government policies of the period. After teaching briefly, Bhatia joined his father's travel business in 1988.
InterGlobe Enterprises
In 1989, Bhatia established InterGlobe Enterprises as an air transport management company. Over the following decades, he oversaw the diversification of InterGlobe from a travel agency into a conglomerate involved in airline representation, travel technology, logistics, and hospitality. This included developing InterGlobe's hospitality footprint through a joint venture established in 2004 with AccorHotels to build and operate ibis brand hotels across South Asia.
Founding IndiGo
In 2006, Bhatia co-founded IndiGo alongside Rakesh Gangwal, a former chief executive of US Airways. At inception, Bhatia's InterGlobe Enterprises held a 51.12% controlling stake in the parent entity, InterGlobe Aviation Limited, while Gangwal held 47.88%. The airline grew rapidly to become India's largest carrier by market share before completing an initial public offering in 2015.
Following the resignation of CEO Pieter Elbers in March 2026, Bhatia assumed interim management of the airline until William Matthew Walsh became chief executive officer in August 2026.
Corporate governance dispute
In 2019, co-founder Rakesh Gangwal filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) citing concerns over related-party transactions (RPTs) between IndiGo and InterGlobe entities owned by Bhatia, including agreements for real estate, crew accommodation, and simulator training. Gangwal also contested provisions giving Bhatia control over board appointments.
Bhatia maintained that all related-party transactions were conducted at arm's length, accounted for a minor fraction of company revenue, and had been fully disclosed during the 2015 IPO. Following an independent review, shareholders voted in December 2021 to remove restrictions on equity transfers, after which Gangwal resigned from the board in February 2022 to begin a phased exit from his equity holdings.
Other business interests
Outside of aviation and hospitality, Bhatia's corporate portfolio includes InterGlobe Technology Quotient, a travel commerce company, alongside ventures in aircraft maintenance engineering, pilot training, and logistics management.
Philanthropy
Bhatia is involved in corporate social responsibility through the InterGlobe Foundation. Led by his spouse, Rohini Bhatia, the foundation has funded social development initiatives and historic preservation projects, including the restoration of Rahim's tomb in New Delhi in partnership with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Awards and recognition
- 2011: Named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and The Economic Times.
- 2011: Awarded Outstanding Start-Up at the Forbes India Leadership Awards.
- 2016: Named to the Forbes Global Game Changers list.