Business lessons this IAF pilot-turned-startup founder learnt during tsunami: Make decisions, create your value

As a startup founder, Vijay Arisetty often contemplates a sea of numbers. In 2004, when he was in the Indian Air Force, he negotiated rumbling tsunami waves and rescued around 300 people in Andaman and Nicobar. And though the Shaurya Chakra sits on a shelf at his home in Bengaluru, Arisetty says he was just doing his job.

“Whatever we do in our training, it is just preparing us for that day,” Arisetty says during a phone conversation. “Many people don’t get the experience what they are trained for. You go all out to show that your training matters.” It is not surprising that Arisetty’s second calling, after 10 years in the air force, deals with safety. He is the CEO of MyGate, an app that simplifies access to gated premises. It currently facilitates over one million check-ins per day, and has also partnered with brands such as Swiggy, Zomato and Dunzo.

Rescue mission
The helicopter pilot was stationed in the Andamans in 2004. When the first waves hit, his instincts kicked in, despite being afraid that the island was sinking.


“I ran uphill towards the air field,” Arisetty says. “Someone there told me that the aircraft was ready and asked if I wanted to fly, I said ‘Ok, let’s start’. I saw a lot of people on rooftops and tree tops. I picked them up and dropped them off at the highest location — the airfield. We did this for close to three hours.”

One aspect of training that was crucial during the disaster was making quick decisions while in the air. “Decisions need to be taken,” he says. “Whether they are right or wrong, the outcome will decide.”

Once a pilot
After an injury forced him to leave the forces, Arisetty went to Indian Business School and became a VP at Goldman Sachs before starting his own company. But his flying days never left him. “I just left my uniform behind,” he says. “But that’s the good thing about change; you don’t have to leave anything behind, you take it along with you. And that’s how you create value.”