Captain Gopinath
About
Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar Gopinath, a multi-faceted personality is a retired captain of the Indian Army, a political leader, an author, & the Founder of the low-cost airline Air Deccan.
Gopinath graduated from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun after completing three years of rigorous training at the National Defense Academy in Pune.
After joining the Indian Army, he earned the rank of Captain, spent eight years in the army and fought in the 1971-72 Bangladesh Liberation War.
After taking an early retirement from the Indian Army, he became a farmer. He established an ecologically sustainable sericulture farm and was also involved in mulberry production.
He started the Malnad Mobikes and also opened a hotel in Hassan.
Gopinath co-founded the charter helicopter company Deccan Aviation in 1997. He established the low-cost airline Air Deccan in 2003, which was extended till Sri Lanka. Later in 2007, it merged with Kingfisher Airlines, bringing him substantial profits.
He established the freight flying and logistics operation company Deccan 360 in 2009, but was asked to wind it up by The Karnataka High Court in July 2013.
Gopinath contested for Lok Sabha in Bangalore South as an independent candidate in 2009, but he was unsuccessful. In 2014, he contested for Lok Sabha elections on the ticket of the Aam Aadmi Party but was unsuccessful again.
Awards and accomplishments
Awards and accomplishments
- Gopinath was conferred with the ‘Rolex Laureate Award’ in 1996 for his innovative methods in farming.
- He received the ‘Rajyotsava Award’ (Karnataka) in 2005.
- He was knighted with the ‘Chevalier de la légion d’Honneur’, a civilian award conferred by the French Government in 2007
- ‘Personality of the Decade Award’ (K.G. Foundation)
- ‘Sir M Visvesvaraya Memorial Award’ (Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry)
Why Captain Gopinath?
Coming from a humble background, Captain Gopinath is a multi-faceted personality. He has expertise in several professions and proved his strength as an Army Officer, India’s leading business man, an independent political candidate, an eco-friendly farmer and a well known author. His true dedication in serving the country either in defense, aviation or ecologically has made him the successful man he is today.
