Business Daily – "Starting a jet company against the odds"

Host: Rahul Tandon (BBC World Service)
Guest: Kanika Tekriwal, Founder and CEO of Jetset Go
Date: March 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Business Daily: Meet the Founders," Rahul Tandon interviews Kanika Tekriwal, a pioneering aviation entrepreneur who founded Jetset Go, India's first and largest marketplace for private jet and helicopter charters. The conversation delves into Kanika’s personal and professional journey — from her upbringing and cultural expectations around arranged marriages and sexism, to fighting cancer, overcoming family opposition, and breaking into a male-dominated industry. Kanika shares candid reflections on resilience, business innovation, and how changes in Indian society are shaping female entrepreneurship.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Marwari Roots and Cultural Expectations

(02:29-06:53)

• Kanika opens up about her upbringing in the Marwar region of Rajasthan - a community famed for entrepreneurship but traditionally dominated by men.
  • "Every single one of them has been a successful entrepreneur. Now it's okay for Marwadis to do jobs, but when I was a child I didn't know a Marwadi who did a job." (Kanika, 02:29)
• Growing up, she was steeped in traditional values — especially the expectation that women shouldn’t work outside or pursue entrepreneurship.
  • "I don't think a lot of families will proudly say, ha, you know, the daughter in law from my house can work." (Kanika, 03:45)
• Parental attitudes varied: her mother wanted more for her than she had; her father discouraged professional ambitions for girls.
• Arranged marriages were positioned as a woman’s goal, often described as "exchanges of balance sheets." (Kanika, 06:06)
• Despite childhood confusion and ingrained respect for tradition, she maintained ambition and community grounding.
  • Notable tradition: touching elders’ feet as a sign of respect and seeking blessings (05:30).

2. Push for Education and Independence

(06:22-07:40)

• Negotiated to study abroad, but only with a "practical" subject: finance, to fit family expectations.
• Moved to the UK in 2009 for an MBA in Finance, but gravitated toward aviation.
  • Early career involved long commutes and hard work at an aviation services company — instilling patience and practical skills.

3. Cancer Diagnosis and Perspective Shift

(09:21-12:24)

• At 21, just returned to India, Kanika was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma; she initially received a bleak prognosis.
  • "From a pain in the arm, it was diagnosed to be cancer. And I think that's when, you know, everything turned around in my life." (Kanika, 09:58)
• Meeting an optimistic, kind doctor changed her outlook and gave her hope.
  • Doctor’s encouragement: "Kanika, don't worry. 40 years later, we'll have a drink with each other." (Doctor, 10:26)
• After treatment and remission, Kanika credits cancer for teaching her to reject imposed limitations and become resilient.
  • "You call it horrible. I call it the best thing that ever happened to me." (Kanika, 11:16)
  • "If it wasn't for cancer, I'd probably be married in some small town in India, sitting with 16 kids, not sitting here in front of you for sure." (11:21)
  • "After cancer, I didn't accept these things. You know, it taught me how to stand up for what I believe in. It made me believe I was invincible." (Kanika, 11:25)

4. Founding Jetset Go: Hustle, Sexism, and Survival

(12:24-13:38; 14:56-16:44)

• Kanika started Jetset Go in 2014 from scratch: "Moved to Delhi, no money in my pocket, lived with friends, hustled my way through and I was very clear this is what I wanted to do. Failed, failed, failed...but I wasn't going to give up." (Kanika, 12:47)
• Faced stigma post-cancer: family worried no one would marry her, so she made her diagnosis public to remove shame.
  "My father's first words to me was, don't tell anyone you have cancer because no one will marry you. And the first thing I did was went on Facebook and wrote, hell yeah, I've got cancer." (Kanika, 13:40)
• Raised her first capital (~₹5,600) through customer advances and supplier credit.
  "I never dreamt that we could own a single plane. Today we own 11 or 12, I think." (Kanika, 14:09)
• Sexism in business: Recounts being mistaken for the help in boardrooms, determined to win over skeptics and convert them into clients.
  • "One of the first pictures, I went to this industrialist in India and he...said, excuse me miss, can you ask everyone if they want some tea or coffee?...it took me all my courage to keep that pitch going...He always tells people it's because of Kanika I got women into my C suite." (Kanika, 14:56)
• On increasing female representation: Kanika notes improvements, regulatory pushes, and her own participation as a "Shark" on India’s Shark Tank.
  • "Now, if you look at it, I'm the newest shark on the Indian shark tank and we had more women pitches this season than male pitches...that’s what's changing in the country." (Kanika, 16:19)
  • Funding decisions are less about gender now: "India is at a place now where when you go ask for funding, gender is no longer a decision maker." (Kanika, 15:36)

5. Changing India: Shifting Clientele and National Ambitions

(16:44-18:14)

• Client base is shifting younger; focus is moving from saving for land/jewelry to spending on life experiences.
  • "My average clientele age was about 58 years, you know, and today it's about 42, which is a massive shift." (Kanika, 16:58)
• Sees India’s many problems as entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • "You call them problems, we call them opportunities. Right? India's gonna be the next big thing." (Kanika, 17:51)
  • Ambitious prediction: "When your kid's 30, 40 years old, will India be up there with them [US and China]?...They're gonna be way below India." (Kanika, 18:12)

6. Personal Evolution, Family, and Legacy

(18:14-19:21)

• Family attitudes have shifted; her father is now proud and publicly recognized as her father.
  • "Now every time he goes out, people like, oh, you're Kanika's father. And I think that's what does it for him, right? It says it all." (Kanika, 18:24)
• Reflecting on her journey, Kanika wouldn’t undo past challenges but would practice more kindness and humility.
  • "I just think the one thing I would change along my journey is I would be a lot more kinder than I was to people." (Kanika, 18:47)
  • "It's very, very important to be kind to people who helped you get where you are and take your teams with you." (19:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On business and gender expectations:

  "I don't think it is okay for women to work in the Marwari community." — Kanika Tekriwal (03:45)

• On the impact of cancer:

  "You call it horrible. I call it the best thing that ever happened to me...It made me believe I was invincible." — Kanika Tekriwal (11:16, 11:25)

• On entrepreneurial grit:

  "Failed, failed, failed...there were times when I didn't have money to feed myself food, but I wasn't going to give up." — Kanika Tekriwal (12:47)

• On addressing stigma openly:

  "My father's first words to me was, don't tell anyone you have cancer because no one will marry you. And the first thing I did was went on Facebook and wrote, hell yeah, I've got cancer." — Kanika Tekriwal (13:40)

• On gender and boardroom bias:

  "Are you offering me the seat because of my skirt or because of my brain?" — Kanika Tekriwal (15:30)

• On generational change in clients:

  "Today my friends...their focus is on living life experiences." — Kanika Tekriwal (16:58)

• On India's entrepreneurial future:

  "You call them problems, we call them opportunities...India's gonna be the next big thing." — Kanika Tekriwal (17:51)

• On learning and regret:

  "I would be a lot more kinder than I was to people...It's very, very important to be kind to people who helped you get where you are." — Kanika Tekriwal (18:47, 19:03)

Structure and Timestamps

| Segment | Content Summary | Timestamps | |---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------| | 1 | Marwari heritage, gender, marriage pressure | 01:17–06:53 | | 2 | Studying abroad, family expectations, early career in aviation | 06:53–07:40 | | 3 | Cancer diagnosis and life lessons | 09:21–12:24 | | 4 | Starting Jetset Go, overcoming obstacles and sexism | 12:24–16:44 | | 5 | Shifting demographics, Indian entrepreneurial energy | 16:44–18:14 | | 6 | Family acceptance, reflection, advice for the next generation | 18:14–19:21 |

Tone and Style

Kanika Tekriwal’s voice throughout is candid, defiant, inspiring, and marked by humor—even about tough subjects like cancer and sexism. Rahul Tandon’s questions are empathetic and probing, drawing out both the personal and broader societal impact of Kanika’s journey.

For Listeners

This episode provides an authentic window into building a business against daunting odds — battling both cultural and institutional inertia, personal health crises, and persistent gender bias. Kanika Tekriwal’s story is both exceptional and emblematic of broader changes reshaping India today. Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, gender dynamics, or the evolving Indian economy, this episode blends inspiration with grounded insight and practical takeaways.