E-Paper
How a tempo driver from Kanpur became the owner of India's newest airline, Shankh Air
Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, born into a middle-class family, transformed his life from driving tempos to founding Shankh Air.
The rise of Shankh Air stands out as one of modern India’s most striking entrepreneurial success stories. Founded by Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, the airline marks an extraordinary journey from humble beginnings to soaring ambition.
Just seven years ago, Vishwakarma, 35, was working as a loader and tempo driver on the streets of Kanpur. Driven by determination and backed by profitable ventures in steel, cement and transport, he gradually built the resources needed to fulfil a childhood dream — launching Uttar Pradesh’s first locally-grown airline.
Shankh Air is expected to begin operations in early 2026 after receiving its No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The airline is likely to begin flight operations in the first half of January with an initial fleet of three Airbus aircraft, focusing on connecting Lucknow with Delhi, Mumbai and other metro cities, Chairman Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma said on Tuesday.
From tempo driver to airline owner
According to a Jagran report, Vishwakarma was born to a middle class family in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. As a child, he was not interested in studies.
By his own admission, he has not just travelled in tempos but also driven them. “A person coming from the bottom up sees everything—bicycles, buses, trains, tempos—everything,” he said.
"I drove autos with acquaintances and tried a few small businesses, many of which failed," he said, adding his business journey gained momentum in 2014 with entry into the cement trade.
He stepped into the business world and steadily carved out a place for himself. His first major breakthrough came in the TMT rebar industry. Building on that success, he expanded into cement, mining and the transport sector. By setting up a sizable fleet of trucks, he firmly established his business identity and laid the groundwork for future ventures, including Shankh Air.
How he started Shankh Air
Recalling the airline's origin, Vishwakarma said the idea of entering the aviation sector came to him about four years ago.
"Once the thought struck me, I began understanding the process, how to get the NOC, what are the rules and how the system works. What started as an idea four years ago has now taken shape," he said, according to news agency PTI.
Coming from a modest middle-class background, Vishwakarma said even dreaming big was once considered unrealistic.
"In the circumstances we grew up, just earning a livelihood was seen as enough. Dreaming beyond that was almost unthinkable," he said. But Vishwakarma wanted to make air travel more accessible for the masses.
"An aircraft is just a means of transport, like a bus or a tempo. It should not be seen as something exclusive," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
