Adani Airports CEO says lounge access no longer needs middlemen: ‘Only companies that disrupt themselves survive…'
He made the announcement in a post on professional networking site LinkedIn on July 3, where he added that the 'fintech revolution' has made it so that lounge access at airports no 'eliminated need for middlemen', adding that only companies that disrupt themselves will survive in a tech-led world.
'India is at the global forefront of digital innovation. UPI has transformed the lives of a billion Indians, revolutionizing how we transact every day and accelerating our journey to becoming the third largest economy in the world. This fintech revolution has eliminated the need for middlemen across sectors, just as companies like Airbnb and Uber did several years ago,' he wrote.
Bansal added: 'We have now brought the same spirit of innovation to our own ecosystem, led by our outstanding Digital Lab team. Passengers across India can now access lounges directly through our platform in partnership with other lounge operators. This means no intermediaries — only seamless, a world class experience delivered directly to our consumers.'
'In today's tech-driven world, only those companies that can disrupt themselves will survive. The rest will disappear,' he said.
Airport lounge offers travelers with much needed respite from the bustle of terminals, providing comfortable seating, peace of mind, complimentary refreshments and often Wi-Fi and business facilities.
Howver, with frequent changes in credit card lounge access policies, travelers need to stay updated on the latest rules to make the most of their credit cards.
Traveller usually also have to maximise their access by ensuring that they meet the minimum spend or other criteria; use bank or partner applications to find eligible lounges and pre-book access; and review the latest terms before travel.
Direct access could thus be a game-changer for the sector.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
No 'middlemen' required for lounges, says Adani Airport CEO
Adani Airport Holdings said on Thursday that passengers across India can now access lounges directly through their platform in partnership with other lounge operators, thus removing the need for any intermediaries. The Adani Group currently operates the airports in Mumbai, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mangaluru, Guwahati, Jaipur, and Thiruvananthapuram. It is also building the Navi Mumbai International Airport. 'Passengers across India can now access lounges directly through our platform in partnership with other lounge operators. This means no intermediaries – only seamless, a world class experience delivered directly to our consumers,' Adani Airport Holdings's chief executive Arun Bansal said on LinkedIn. Bansal added that India is at the global forefront of digital innovation. 'UPl has transformed the lives of a billion Indians, revolutionising how we transact every day and accelerating our journey to becoming the third largest economy in the world. This fintech revolution has eliminated the need for middlemen across sectors, just as companies like Airbnb and Uber did several years ago.' 'We have now brought the same spirit of innovation to our own ecosystem, led by our outstanding Digital Lab team.' Adani Airport's move to cut middlemen and increase accessibility of lounge services comes days after Dreamfolks Services CEO and Chairperson Liberatha Peter Kallat criticised two major Indian airport operators for using pressuring tactics to disrupt her company's business. Dreamfolks Services commands 90% market share in India's domestic lounge access market for debit and credit card programs, as per the company's website.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
They paid Rs 50 lakh for MBA, tech degrees but only 'polished skill' is PPT: Entrepreneur after hiring 3 students
When Sanket S, founder of Scandolous Foods, decided to hire fresh graduates from some of India's most prestigious private colleges, he expected talent that could keep up with the demands of his growing startup. Instead, what he found was disheartening. In a viral LinkedIn post, Sanket shared how hiring three students—an MBA graduate, a hotel management student, and a tech degree holder—left him more concerned than optimistic. 'These kids paid ₹40–50 lakh for degrees from India's top private MBA, food, and hospitality colleges,' Sanket wrote. 'But they walked out knowing… nothing that actually matters.' What was meant to be an onboarding of future industry shapers quickly turned into a revelation about the stark mismatch between academic credentials and workplace readiness . The Only 'Polished Skill'? Making PowerPoint Slides Sanket explained that the MBA graduate couldn't grasp basic financial concepts like profit and loss or cash flow. The hotel management student had never been inside a food processing facility. Even basic knowledge about precision fermentation—vital in a food-tech startup—was missing. 'All of them are brilliant at making PPTs. That too, stuff Gemini or ChatGPT can do in seconds now,' he added, expressing how automation had surpassed the one skill they came equipped with. You Might Also Like: Hotmail cofounder Sabeer Bhatia blasts Indian education system: 'We are producing an army of useless kids' A Broken Pipeline, Not a Broken Batch The reaction to Sanket's post underscored a wider problem—India's education system, not its students, may be failing the job market . Netizens argued that graduates aren't inherently lacking, but are products of outdated curricula that prioritise rote learning over real-world application. One user called the system 'a bottleneck,' especially in emerging sectors like food tech and biotech, where theory-heavy teaching leaves students unprepared for practical challenges. Another pointed out the mismatch in expectations, noting, 'Most of these graduates are fit for Fortune 1000 companies, not startups that demand flexibility and critical thinking.' Several commenters also criticised how both schools and colleges suppress creativity and curiosity in favour of memorisation. 'There's little focus on inventions, discoveries or deep research,' one said, while another called for a bottom-up overhaul through a robust STEAM education strategy. The consensus is clear: India may be producing degrees, not doers. Unless systemic reforms take place, young professionals will continue entering the workforce ill-equipped—not because they lack talent, but because they were never trained to apply it where it matters. You Might Also Like: Choosing Computer Science in college? Nobel Laureate Geoffrey Hinton has a stark warning for aspiring coders Startups Want Builders, Not Bookworms For startups, the gap between a glowing résumé and on-ground ability comes at a cost. Founders who are trying to build cutting-edge ventures in medtech, biotech, and climate tech need team members who can hit the ground running—not those who need to be trained from scratch. 'Train them from scratch, then I'm not running a company, I'm running a classroom,' Sanket wrote, highlighting the dilemma founders face—whether to invest time in training underprepared local talent or look abroad, betraying their 'Make in India' dreams. A Call for Urgent Reform The post has also reignited the conversation around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education and the need to shift from outdated curricula to skills that matter in the modern world. One commenter emphasized that unless India builds a bottom-up education strategy rooted in innovation, 'we will lose the global innovation competition.' Sanket ended his post with a strong cautionary note: 'At this rate, we're not just 10 years behind—we're raising a generation that doesn't even know what the world looks like today.' You Might Also Like: Schools and universities to go obsolete? Godfather of AI, Greoffrey Hinton says 'we won't need them' As the debate rages on, one thing is clear—India's talent pipeline might need more than a polish. It needs a full-scale reboot.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
India's digital identity adoption surges amid rising trust, AI integration: Report
New Delhi, As India's digital ecosystem expands at an unprecedented pace, Indian consumers are rapidly embracing new-age identity technologies while balancing convenience with security concerns, a new report said on Wednesday. The data compiled by Okta highlights that more than 30 per cent of Indian users log into ten or more personal online accounts every month -- showcasing the country's accelerating digital footprint. Amid this growth, Indian consumers are also displaying a greater readiness to adopt biometrics and AI-driven services compared to global peers. Despite the growing array of authentication methods, passwords remain the most convenient option for 82 per cent of Indians. However, biometrics are steadily gaining traction, with 55 per cent using fingerprint authentication and 35 per cent relying on Face ID for smoother logins. "Despite the new options, 82 per cent of Indians still find passwords to be the most convenient way to verify their identity," the report said. "More than half of the population (54 per cent) find it convenient to use a government ID like Aadhaar for verification purposes, followed by SMS/voice calls (44 per cent)," it added. Security perceptions remain high for passwords (79 per cent), SMS authentication (74 per cent), and fingerprints. However, risky practices persist -- 1 in 5 Indians reuse the same password across all personal accounts. India's growing trust in digital platforms is also noteworthy. As many as 67 per cent of Indian respondents trust businesses to protect their data, well above the global average of 50 per cent. This trust extends to key sectors -- banks (79 per cent), tech firms (73 per cent), government agencies (70 per cent), and online retailers (69 per cent). However, digital vigilance is rising too, with 81 per cent of Indians expressing concern about identity fraud -- significantly higher than the global average of 63 per cent. The report, based on a global survey of 6,750 consumers (including 750 from India), also found that Indians are more open to engaging with enterprise AI agents. While 65 per cent appreciate the speed and 24/7 support of AI, as many as 76 per cent still prefer human interaction. Interestingly, 64 per cent of Indians are willing to share health data with AI agents, compared to 32 per cent globally, and 49 per cent are comfortable sharing financial data, compared to 27 per cent globally. "AI is no longer a future concept -- it is embedded in the way we live, work, and connect," said Shakeel Khan, Regional Vice President and Country Manager, Okta India. Ben Goodman, SVP & GM, Asia Pacific & Japan at Okta, added, "In Asia Pacific, trust has become the true currency of digital engagement. From logins to AI agents, consumers want experiences that are seamless, secure, and respectful of their data."
