Overcoming immense personal hardships to build a thriving enterprise defines the journey of Kanika Tekriwal, who hails from Badauli in Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district. Facing life-threatening challenges at an unusually young age, she refused to let adversity derail her ambitions and instead carved out a remarkable space for herself among the country's most prominent business leaders. Today, she successfully runs an aviation empire valued at approximately 420 crore rupees.
Beating Cancer and Launching a Startup
At the tender age of 20, she received a diagnosis of stage-2 Hodgkin lymphoma, a form of cancer that presented an intimidating obstacle. Rather than yielding to the illness, she fought through the arduous medical battle and emerged determined to pursue her long-held goals. By 2014, when she was only 24 years old, she established JetSetGo. The company specializes in providing private jet and helicopter charter services, operating out of its headquarters in Delhi to offer transparent airport-to-airport air travel options. During the nascent stages of the business, she actively reached out to prospective clients herself, going to great lengths to build trust and generate awareness for the novel service. Her persistent efforts eventually paid off as consumer confidence grew and the business expanded rapidly.
A Long-Standing Passion for Aviation
Her fascination with aircraft and the aviation sector began during her early years. Her foundational education took place at the prestigious Lawrence School in Sanawar, followed by college studies in Mumbai. Although she initially aspired to become a pilot, exposure to the industry made her realize that the aviation sector offered vast opportunities beyond simply flying planes. To gain deeper insight, she took on a part-time role at an aviation firm in Mumbai, where she observed firsthand the cumbersome procedures and lack of transparency involved in booking private jets within India. Recognizing a major gap in the market, she resolved to leverage technology to streamline and simplify the entire booking experience, laying the groundwork for her enterprise.
Accolades and Future Outlook
Her exceptional rise is underscored by her inclusion among the youngest entrepreneurs on the Kotak Private Banking Hurun list of wealthiest self-made women in India. Her net worth stands at around 420 crore rupees, having registered a remarkable growth of 50 percent in recent years. In recognition of her contributions, the Government of India honored her with the National Entrepreneurship Award in the e-commerce category. Additionally, Forbes featured her on its 30 Under 30 Asia list. Following her marriage to Sharad Chandra Reddy in 2022, her current professional focus centers on aircraft management, leasing, aviation infrastructure, and smart mobility technology across India.
