Airtimes: Indian Standard Times

BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL:

Monday, October 24 at 14:30 hrs

Repeats at 15:00 hrs, 16:30 hrs and 17:00 hrs

This Monday, October 24, join CNN’s Financial Editor Todd Benjamin in Benjamin’s Boardroom on CNN’S BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL as he talks to India’s first airline industry billionaire, Naresh Goyal. Goyal’s more than 37 years of experience in the civil aviation industry in India has seen his airline, Jet Airways, fly its fifth millionth passenger in February, earning it a reputation as one of India’s most successful airlines.

During the exclusive interview with CNN, the entrepreneur explains why money means nothing to him and narrates his climb from humble beginnings. When asked what aspect of the airline business he likes best, Goyal said, “I love that, this is one business which has created millions and millions of jobs worldwide. It connects people, connects different cultures, different traditions from all over the world. People coming from Spain, or France, or Germany, or India, or United States, from South East Asia or Japan; they want to know your culture, they want to know you and this airline business brings us closer to each other. To understand human beings, people, their temperament, philosophies, nations, so it's different from any other business.”

Speaking of his vision for his airline and the multinational nature of its management board, Goyal says: “I said you need a very good board – a board who will believe in India, who will believe in Indians, who will love India, who will love Indians. People whom I have known over the years, so they are on the board today, whom I have known over 30 to 35 years, who know me, who know what I want to achieve, who know what India can do, so they are on the board.”

The airline magnate also talks about the Indian government’s contribution to the nation’s thriving economy and his views of India’s rising GDP. He ends the interview by saying he hopes the world will remember him for his contribution to society and the nation as a whole.

Goyal’s interview airs Monday, October 24, on CNN’s BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL as part of ‘Benjamin’s Boardroom’, a series of feature interviews bringing insights the minds of some of the world's top chief executives. ‘Benjamin's Boardroom’ looks beyond quarterly earnings and trading updates and focuses on leadership styles and strategies.