When Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha was transferred to the Civil Aviation Ministry around 10 months ago, it was considered a "demotion", but industry insiders say Sinha has converted the "punishment posting" into an excellent opportunity by taking the aviation sector to new heights.
Sinha studied in IIT and Harvard, contested elections, had a brief stint in the Finance Ministry and wherever he went, success followed him. The former investment banker gained a reputation of being a quick learner in the Finance Ministry, but then came his sudden transfer to the Aviation Ministry. Like Smriti Irani's transfer from the prestigious Education Ministry to the Textile Ministry, Sinha's exit from the Finance Ministry to civil aviation was also viewed as a demotion.
But Sinha clearly did not feel let down by the move and this reflected in the turnaround he brought about in the aviation sector, with bureaucrats praising him for having, in no time, acquired a good grasp of the intricacies of India's high-cost aviation sector.
In coordination with his senior counterpart, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Sinha transformed the ministry. Sources in the ministry told DNA that it is in fact the camaraderie between the two ministers that is working wonders for India's civil aviation sector, which has secured a place among the top five growing aviation markets globally. A senior ministry official, on condition of anonymity, said, "The previous MoS Mahesh Sharma and Gajapathi Raju could never get along and this hampered work. But Jayant Sinha and Gajapti Raju compliment each other fabulously."
Sinha brought about a series of reforms, the most important one being the launch of the ambitious regional connectivity scheme UDAN (which had been in the works for years). He now promises to revolutionise service standards in the aviation sector.
Investors had cheered when Sinha, a former venture capitalist, was appointed in the Finance Ministry. Despite his father and former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's strong and repeated criticism of the Modi government, Sinha managed to be among a few other ministers who were seen working in tandem with Modi's disruptive style of functioning.
Industry insiders also credit Sinha for creating a consumer-friendly image of the Ministry. A senior ministry official, who did not wish to be named, said Sinha was instrumental in the launch of 'Air Sewa', an integrated common portal where harried air passengers can register complaints. All complaints related to air services — including flight delays, baggage loss and unusually long periods for refunds, besides long queues at airports — can be registered using 'Air Sewa' web portal or mobile app.
