Telugu actor Ram Charan says TruJet - the latest entrant in the aviation sector and an airline he is promoting - will be truly low-cost and focused on the southern states.
The Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways this week became the fourth company in the last two years to receive a flying licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator.
"As you are shocked why a film actor is getting into a business like this, I was pretty shocked when an offer like this came up," said the 30-year-old Ram Charan. The popular actor is also the son of former union minister and superstar Chiranjeevi.
"I don't look at as business. It is just an investment for me," he said, promising, "A lot of people say that they are low cost but they are actually not...We are true to our initial statement which is low cost. Our routes are southern. We are focusing basically on southern states." (Watch)
This month, Ram Charan said, TruJet starts flights in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana - Hyderabad-Rajahmundry and Hyderabad-Tirupati, identified as the most used sector by flyers. After this, he said, flights would be introduced to Chennai and Bengaluru.
Turbo Megha's managing director, V Umesh had said earlier this week that the new carrier has already acquired two 72-seater ATR-72 planes and would induct three more by January next year.
The company has seen an initial investment of $20 million, or nearly Rs 127 crore ($1 = Rs 63.40).
Ram Charan said he has realistic expectations and expects organic growth. "We are not very fancy. We don't have unreasonable and unreasonable targets."
"The aircraft we have chosen have never failed in the past, economically and in terms of numbers. The business model, the ticket pricing, on everything we are going organically. We will grow looking at the numbers for how the business is growing. That is how we will expand," the actor added.
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