Brands
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers steps down; Rahul Bhatia steps in as interim boss
Leadership change follows flight disruption crisis and regulatory scrutiny
Pieter Elbers has exited the cockpit at IndiGo. The chief executive of India’s largest airline stepped down at the close of business on March 10, 2026, triggering a swift leadership reshuffle at the country’s dominant carrier.
Rahul Bhatia, managing director of IndiGo’s parent InterGlobe Aviation, will temporarily oversee the airline’s operations and management while the board considers its next leadership move.
Elbers, who joined IndiGo in 2022 after a long stint at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, was brought in to steer the airline through its next phase of international expansion and operational scale. His departure comes after a turbulent few months for the carrier.
In late 2025, IndiGo faced sharp criticism after cancelling more than 500 flights on November 5 and another 650 on November 7, leaving thousands of passengers stranded across India during peak travel season. The disruptions triggered regulatory scrutiny, with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation issuing a show-cause notice and later imposing a Rs 22 crore penalty linked to crew roster failures.
A subsequent inquiry found the airline had over-optimised operations, relied heavily on crew repositioning and tail swaps, and failed to maintain adequate operational buffers under new pilot rest rules.
In an internal message to employees following Elbers’ resignation, Bhatia struck a reassuring tone. Referencing the popular film phrase “Main hoon na”, he told staff he would stand with them as the airline worked to restore operational stability after the crisis.
“What happened last December should never have taken place,” Bhatia wrote, acknowledging the strain the disruptions placed on frontline employees.
Despite the turbulence, IndiGo remains firmly in command of India’s skies. The airline continues to hold more than 60 per cent of the domestic market, far ahead of its rivals.
Financially, however, the ride has been bumpier. In the December quarter, IndiGo’s consolidated profit plunged 77.55 per cent year-on-year to Rs 549.8 crore, down from Rs 2,448.8 crore a year earlier, even as revenue from operations rose 6.2 per cent to Rs 23,471.9 crore.
Elbers leaves behind a carrier that still dominates India’s aviation market—but one that has recently been reminded how quickly turbulence can hit even the strongest flyers.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
