GR Gopinath: Trying to take off in politics

In his second attempt to gain entry into mainstream politics, the man who pioneered low-cost flying in the country, G.R. Gopinath, is using unconventional ambush marketing tactics

It is a sweltering day in Bangalore, evidence of the garden city’s fading reputation for being blessed with balmy weather year round.

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Surrounded by a bunch of enthusiastic, young supporters who ignore the sun beating down mercilessly, a balding, fast-talking man is shaking the hands of commuters waiting for a bus at the morning peak hour.

As a bus heading towards Dairy Circle—the entrance to an arterial road that houses technology powerhouses such as International Business Machines Corp. and Oracle Corp.—stops, he and his supporters hop in. Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar Gopinath, the man who pioneered low-cost air travel in India with his Air Deccan, is commuting by a humble public bus to court voters.