The story of Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, the Shankh Air founder and owner, a 35-year-old entrepreneur from Kanpur who once drove tempos on crowded city streets, reads like a Bollywood screenplay. Yet it’s entirely real, and in January 2026, his vision will take flight.
Shankh Air, set to become Uttar Pradesh’s first home-grown airline, represents far more than a new carrier entering India’s competitive aviation market. It embodies a singular, audacious goal: to make flying as accessible as hopping on a bus, transforming air travel from a luxury reserved for the few into a practical option for millions.
Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma’s transformation
Vishwakarma’s early life offers little hint of the ambition that would later drive him to challenge India’s aviation establishment. Growing up in a middle-class Kanpur household, he was, by his own admission, not a dedicated student.
“I wasn’t a keen student,” he says. “But the city was my classroom. The streets, the traffic, the buses, the tempos. I saw it all. That’s where I learned about life.”
What formal education didn’t provide, street-level business instinct did. After school, Vishwakarma worked multiple jobs as a loader, an auto driver, and a small business owner. Each role taught him lessons that would prove invaluable later. Most early business attempts failed, but crucially, he didn’t treat failure as a stopping point.
The real turning point came in 2014. Vishwakarma entered the cement trade, a move that unlocked new opportunities. From cement, he expanded into the lucrative TMT (Thermo-Mechanical Treatment) rebar industry, then into mining and transport. By building a fleet of trucks from scratch, Vishwakarma did more than generate capital. He established credibility in an industry built on trust and operational excellence.
His success in building and managing complex supply chains positioned him well for what came next: a conversation that would change everything.
Transition from Idea to Institution
Four years ago, as Vishwakarma’s transport business flourished, a new thought struck him: Why couldn’t he bring the same disruption to aviation?
“Once the thought struck me, I had to learn everything, the rules, the NOC process, how the system worked,” he recalls. For most entrepreneurs, such an idea remains a late-night conversation. For Vishwakarma, it became a systematic pursuit.
Over the following years, he studied India’s aviation regulatory framework, understood the complex approval processes, and carefully assembled the financial and operational infrastructure required to launch an airline. It wasn’t a quick process. Regulatory approvals, aircraft financing, and talent acquisition demanded patience and persistence. But by mid-2024, the pieces were in place, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation granted Shankh Air its No Objection Certificate (NOC).
As of January 2026, the airline stands on the threshold of commercial operations, the result of four years of relentless groundwork.
Strategy That Defines Shankh Air
Shankh Air isn’t positioning itself as another premium carrier or ultra-low-cost competitor. Instead, it occupies a deliberate middle ground: a full-service airline designed for India’s underserved middle class and first-time flyers.
Fleet and Infrastructure
The airline will launch operations with three Airbus A320 aircraft, expanding to five planes (including A321s) by February 2026. These narrow-body jets, leased from Bulgaria and financed through external banks, represent a calculated balance between capacity and operational flexibility.
Its operational hub will be Noida Jewar International Airport, currently under development in Uttar Pradesh. Aircraft parking will initially be managed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, ensuring immediate connectivity to the capital.
Route Strategy Focused on Connectivity
Shankh Air’s route network reveals a thoughtful approach to market entry. Rather than chasing high-density metros exclusively, the airline will connect Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh’s capital, with major hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, while simultaneously serving underconnected tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Key regional routes under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme include Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Chitrakoot, Indore, and Dehradun. This dual focus serves premium metro routes for revenue stability while building regional networks for market penetration, demonstrating strategic foresight.
Pricing Strategy and Fare Positioning
Perhaps most distinctively, Vishwakarma has committed to keeping fares at the lower end of the market. “The target audience will be the middle class,” he emphasizes. “We have no plans to hike our ticket fares.”
This isn’t just a launch-phase tactic. It reflects Vishwakarma’s fundamental belief about what aviation should be: not a status symbol, but a utility. “An airplane is just a way to get somewhere, like a bus or a train. It shouldn’t feel like it’s only for a few people.”
Launch Timeline and Future Plans
Commercial operations are expected to begin in January or February 2026, pending final regulatory clearances from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Ticket sales have not yet opened, but when they do, the airline will offer a new option for travelers on key routes.
The near-term focus will be stabilizing operations, building customer confidence, and proving the business model works. Longer-term ambitions include international expansion by 2028–2029, expanding the fleet beyond five aircraft, and potentially increasing frequencies on profitable routes.
Conclusion
Shankh Air’s story goes beyond aviation. It reflects India’s effort to turn rapid economic growth into real opportunities for everyday entrepreneurs. Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma has built Shankh Airline with a clear purpose. An airline created for all Indians, not just the elite. If successful, this new Indian airline could signal a new era of affordable air travel and inclusive progress, proving that determination and strategy can lift an entire nation higher.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shankh Air’s exact launch timeline and first-phase focus?
Shankh Air plans commercial operations starting in the first half of January 2026, initially emphasizing daily metro routes from Lucknow to Delhi and Mumbai, plus regional UDAN scheme destinations like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Chitrakoot, Indore, and Dehradun.
What aircraft will Shankh Air deploy initially?
It starts with three leased Airbus A320s, expanding to five within six weeks, chosen for efficiency on short-haul routes serving middle-class passengers.
How can travelers book Shankh Air tickets since official sales aren’t open yet?
Ticket sales await final DGCA approvals, but group bookings are already available through platforms like FareHawker, which negotiate protected fares, flexible payments, and ancillaries directly with Shankh Air.
Does Shankh Air offer group booking flexibility?
Yes, it supports 10+ passengers domestically with name changes until ticketing deadlines, milestone payments, dedicated airport marshals, and GST-ready invoices via partners.
Which under-the-radar regional routes will Shankh Air prioritize?
Beyond metros, it targets UDAN routes like Chitrakoot and Gorakhpur for intra-Uttar Pradesh connectivity, addressing limited direct options to heritage sites and emerging airports.
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