Gaurav's Blog

EXODUS

 

Flipping through the Feb 20, 2011 issues of Business India, one statistic caught my eye:

 

Which is the number 1 state in India, in terms sending workers aboard?  The top of the mind answer would be Kerela. And that was the correct answer, until 2009. Since then it has been UP.  Just the first half of 2010 saw 68,375 migrant workers leaving, mostly to the Gulf. 

 

This is a familiar phenomenon observed elsewhere- when Argentina was about to default on its sovreign debt in 2008, there was an exodus of people to UK, Italy, Spain. The flights were full- (one way). It was a short term phenomenon. In other cases however, like Mexico, Philippines and India, there is a recurring exodus- leaving for the US, or Japan and in India's case to the Middle East mostly. There is no prospect of a local job, so migration is forced. Real GDP in UP has been sliding with Behenji (may peace be upon her) at helm.

 

What does it mean for Airlines? Vast swathes of UP are underserved. Places like Bareilly (covered in the media, only when Priyanka Chopra opens her (much talked about) pout to let the world know that she schooled in Bareilly), have a fine airport controled by the Armed forces and can be opened to civilian traffic if Behenji wants it (may peace be upon her).  

 

Those airlines that have been recently blessed (or should I say cursed) with a license to fly aboard, may want to consider launching flights from relatively uncontested territories like Lucknow, rather than do exactly what the others have done, launching yet another flight to Singapore/Bangkok from a Metro city. This is, a rather 'unglaomourous' option but then we have Ms.Chopra to lend all the glamour if a flight from Bareilly was ever launched. We may even have the other behenji (may peace be upon her) grace the occassion, given that elections in UP are near.  Don't believe me? Ask Air Arabia- Where do you think traffic on their Nagpur flight comes from?