Felix Pilot Training Institute is a leading name in pilot training, known for its exceptional programs and commitment to student success. With a focus on a comprehensive curriculum, experienced instructors, advanced technology, and virtual and physical training facilities, Felix equips aspiring aviators with the skills and knowledge they need to take flight in their careers.

In an exclusive interview with CIOLook India, Gokul Sudarsan, the Founder and CEO of the Felix Group of Institutions, spoke in detail about their journey, achievements, and plans. The highlights of that candid discussion are given herein.

As a trailblazer in the Aerospace and Defense world, could you take us back to the beginning of your journey? What motivated you to step into your field?

I started my aviation career as a flight dispatcher in one of the leading airlines in India. At that time, I learned about job availability. Opportunities available in aviation where I can apply. For a short while, I worked in aviation. I did my job for a few years. Then, I established this business. The pilot training business is one of the most important aviation trending businesses. As we know, many middle-class people use aircraft for their travel routine. It made me to open this institute in Chennai, South India. I’m from South India. Many training academies are available to aspirants in North India, mostly in Delhi.

To level the playing field, I founded Felix Pilot Training Institute for all South Indian aspirants. Earlier, before the establishment of Felix, many people had a negative perception that only rich aspirants could become pilots. To change it, we started the academy. I come from a middle-class background. That’s my inspiration. Today, we train many aspirants for the middle and lower middle class. Since our inception in 2017, we have trained hundreds of pilots. Most of them are successfully working across the country. Thus, we are creating opportunities for all students, irrespective of their financial background. If you have passion, then you can become a pilot. That is our belief.

Felix Pilot Training Institute has emerged as one of India’s best Aerospace and Defense enterprises. Could you share the guiding philosophy that has propelled your organization’s success? 

We started the institute on a very small scale. Today, it has emerged as a large organization in the city. Our motivation is to clear people’s perceptions. This is because most aspirants are unaware of the facts about becoming a pilot. Many think that they need to complete engineering. They need to join aeronautical aerospace courses and all that. However, as far as Indian students are concerned, as per GOI’s guidelines, you must be admitted to a government-approved training centre and acquire a successful training completion certificate to complete pilot training. That is enough. Thus, our approach is to spread this awareness to all the students. They must know that knowing the 12-sided index is to begin that pilot’s training. It is our guiding philosophy. Until now, we have targeted all those enthusiasts who were unaware of this fact and trained them well.

The Aerospace and Defense landscape is continually evolving. How do you remain adaptable and ahead of industry trends, providing innovative solutions to your students?

As far as our services are concerned, we are providing specialized solutions. The first one is pilot training abroad. The second one is ground classes for conversion. That means those who have completed their first stage abroad can convert their license here. We are also offering other aviation-related courses like flight dispatcher, cabin crew, and ground staff for people who want to work inside airports.

Further, the duration of these courses varies. Pilot training will take up to two years. These other courses will take three to six months. Thus, we remain updated about the industry requirements and design our courses accordingly. It helps us in delivering the best to our students.

Your leadership style is often recognized as an empowering force behind Felix’s achievements. Could you shed light on your approach to leadership and team building within the organization?

My approach to leadership is straightforward. As I said, in 2017, I started my company alone and faced all the problems single-handedly. It was an initial phase because I wanted to learn much before hiring only the right people and the right people. From then to today, we have a team of 15. That means I’ve been running the same team over the last eight years.

I’m working with the same professionals with whom I started in 2017. For the sake of it or the other official things, I’m using the title of CEO, Director, and Founder. However, I have always been one of my team’s equal members. That’s all. So this motivates me to work as a leader, and I will engage my staff to do the same. Everyone is at the same level. It’s not about their manager or someone else; I’m the CEO. It’s not like that, and it won’t be like that ever. We do hire outside trainers. However, we always work like a professional family.

The essence of aerospace and defense lies in bringing innovation and advancements to the niche in which one is working. How does your enterprise strike a balance between customer expectations and user experience?

Since our inception, we have operated on a small scale. Now, we are shifting to a medium scale. Our expected crowd is around 50 students every year. Because not all students will become pilots, though they’re going to spend much, some people have the money but not the requisite attitude, temperament, and willpower to see it through. Some will have all these traits but not the money. Thus, we need to be very honest upfront when selecting candidates.

It’s not like that. Someone has the dough, so they will automatically become a pilot. Our institute has a strict admissions policy. We do aptitude tests, personal interviews, and technical rounds. In the final round, we will talk to the parents, explaining to them the financial requirements over the duration of the training. Only if it is manageable for them will we proceed.

Our selling point is our conversion rate. I mean, the ratio between the number of students we train and the number of students who become pilots is 80%, a very high success rate in the industry. It means eight out of ten of our candidates will become professional pilots. We are always honest about this with the aspirants and their parents.

In the realm of Aerospace and Defense, technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency. How does Felix leverage technology to optimize its services and stay ahead in a digital age?

Since no one knew what an online class was, especially in pilot training before COVID-19, we fully embraced digital learning and online courses only during the pandemic. However, let me say this. Digital is the way ahead.

Today, we are completely paperless. We have incorporated software from Ireland, South Africa, and other advanced countries. We also provide virtual classes and physical training so that our students will be fully prepared.

Due to this, we have students from Dubai, Ukraine, Russia, China, and Australia. We offer online classes for them, but the people within India can come in daily. Online courses are okay, but offline classes are preferable and a prerequisite to becoming a fully trained pilot.

The workforce is the cornerstone of any successful organization. How does Felix foster a culture of growth, skill development, and empowerment among its employees?

In the present situation, we can hire the staff easily. However, we must maintain their standards. People will come and go easily. Yet, it’s a very big task to employ new ones again, train them, and effectively put them in the same positions. To avoid this, we have developed an employee-friendly culture at every level of the organization. We are giving them achievable targets but not pressuring them unnecessarily. We will work with them together, and if they’re facing any issues, we will go and solve everything.

Further, we motivate them to work in their comfort and convenience. Due to this policy, I’m happy to say that for the last eight years, we have had zero attrition. Everyone has been with us from the beginning. It is a factor of pride and success that we are a family.

As a leader in India’s corporate sector, your company has likely faced its share of challenges. Could you share an instance where your team’s resilience and ingenuity triumphed over adversity?

Challenges are part and parcel of every industry. Ours is no different. However, the difference comes in how you deal with those challenges. Initially, the challenges were different. We had to constantly keep increasing awareness among the aspiring candidates, bringing them into the institute and effectively training them. Today, that challenge is no more. Digital media has helped us create a strong brand name. Also, our past trained pilots have worked in many big companies. They are our brand ambassadors.

Our current challenge is competition. Many institutes sprung up suddenly in the post-COVID-19 scenario. Yet, our team has been handling them professionally and proficiently. Whatever they do, they never compromise on our values and qualities of ethics, honesty, transparency, and professionalism.

Stating an exact example will seem unprofessional. There were many instances when competitors tried to play in a not-so-right way. However, our team showed the highest resolve, patience, and ingenuity to deal with them successfully.

You are admired as a resolute leader in the industry. What is your advice to entrepreneurial aspirants wishing to enter your sector?

The industry is open to everyone. For example, tomorrow, my students can also start a company and open an office in front of my office. Having said that, as an entrepreneur and as a businessman, I accept there are lots of things. All the youths who dream of starting a startup in aviation must understand the concepts and then start a company. Don’t do this without passion. Passion is very important. Maintain professional ethics along your journey because there are many ways to get the money. Don’t involve aviation in that category. Aviation is different. Aviation is for everyone. Aviation is for all the people.

Looking to the future, what is your vision for Felix Pilot Training Institute? How do you aspire to continue making a significant impact on India’s Aerospace and Defense landscape?

With people’s and students ‘ support, we are reaching our ten-year mark in the next two years. We will launch some unique pilot training programs, which no one in the world offers. We are coming with a pilot integrated degree program because, as you know, people can complete both pilot training and a degree together. We have tie-ups with many flight schools worldwide and are developing many current programs to secure our students’ future. These are our plans.