From A Delivery Boy To An Auto-Driver And Now A Pilot
But hardships, obstacles and financial struggles never disheartened him from pursuing his dreams
Shrikant still sits behind a three-wheeled vehicle, but now its not his auto-rikshaw, but an aircraft! With hardwork, determination and a pinch of luck, Shrikant achieved what he had only dreamt of as a child. Once when Shrikant had gone to the airport to deliver a parcel, during a conversation with cadets he learnt that one could also become a pilot even without being inducted in the Indian Air Force. His conversation with a tea-seller outside the airport apprised him of a pilot scholarship program by the DGCA. There was no stopping for Shrikant after this. He immediately grabbed his class 12 books and started studying and preparing for the scholarship. After the class 12 results were declared, he joined a flight school in Madhya Pradesh but he had one major obstacle in his way- English. Taking the bull by its horn, he accepted the challenge and surpassed the language barrier with help from his friends.
Shrikant passed the examination with flying colours and got his commercial pilot license, but global recession and a sluggish aviation market kept him at bay. To support himself and his family, he joined as an executive in a company. He worked as a corporate executive for sometime but always kept hoping for flying in the sky.
Two months back, he received a call from Indigo Airlines that included him as a First Officer in its pack of pilots. Kudos to Shrikant's spirit and determination.
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