Is Indigo heading towards FDI or IPO & inviting fresh trouble along ?

Yesterday entire aviation world was stunned & surprised by a story broken by a very dear friend Anurag Kotoky on twitter.

At 2.57 PM yesterday he tweeted

"FIPB to consider @IndiGo6E (InterGlobe Aviation) FDI proposal on August 1."


This was later confirmed by FIPB also as point 39,in additional agenda of FIPB meeting listed for August 1,as following:-

M/s InterGlobe Aviation Limited, New Delhi (No. 90/2014-FC.I)
[MoCA, DIPP, DEA]

Now most interesting part is, is Interglobe Enterprise seeking a nod for a FDI approval in to Indigo Airlines or seeking a permission to dilute its 48% stake held via a foreign registered firm? 

If later is the case, then when foreign stake FIPB nod was not sought when it happened (2005) then why a FIPB approval is now needed to dilute that stake for upcoming IPO? 

Did IndiGo6E had a foreign investment (Via Caelum Investments, remember it doesn't qualify as a OCB and hence it is a FDI) till now without a FIPB approval? 

If this is the case, then isn't this defies the then, 2005 Law of India?

If it’s true, Subramanian Swamy will definitely move court, as was buzz, also mentioned in my blog post last week.

Or a 3rd scenario can be, it’s just to give an undertaking to the government that the foreign stake in the company will not exceed 49% even after the IPO planned by the company as mentioned in today ET"s story. 

This story also quotes Ramesh Vaidyanathan, managing partner of law firm Advaya Legal who says

"There is a foreign investment element involved in this,

"There could be a potential strategic investor lurking somewhere," he said.

"FIPB does not give any clarification on hypothetical scenario. You have to go with a definitive proposal," Vaidyanathan added. 

Now most interesting point here is,

What is this Foreign Investment in Indigo Airlines that is been referred here.

Let’s talk about ownership details of Indigo Airlines, which were always kept under wraps until 2012, when another very dear friend Tushar Srivastava broke a story in Hindustan Times on ownership of Indigo Airlines on 11 March.

                                                     Pic Credits:HT from the above mentioned story.

Indigo Airlines is jointly owned by US-based firm Caelum Investments, which is is owned by Rakesh Gangwal, who is based in Virginia & Interglobe Enterprises.

Caelum Investments (a foreign registered firm) holds 48% stake in Indigo Airlines, which was not in accordance of the then law of 2005, when Indigo Airlines was established, till Government of India changed its policy on FDI in September,2012.

Calling Caelum Investments a OCB (Over seas Corporate body) also doesn't save the skin because an NRI (Like Rakesh Gangwal or Naresh Goyal) are permitted to have a 100% ownership in a foreign registered company as Caelum Investments or Tail Winds(as was in case of Jet Airways parent company),but any such company can"t have an investment in a 3 rd company, say an airline operating out of India, as in case of Indigo & Jet Airways, until September 2012,when Government of India changed its FDI Policy in aviation.

This was prohibited by law till then.

There are many news reports in the past, which questions about ownership of Jet Airways like:-

CLEAR AIR TURBULENCE 

NETWORKED OPERATIONS

Jet's Goyal owns 18 firms apart from Tail Winds 

Government of India could not trace the owner of Jet Airways

IndiGo's parent company Interglobe Enterprises owns 51.12%. Kapil Bhatia, executive chairman, Interglobe Enterprises, his son, Rahul, Gangwal's wife Shobha and sister Asha Mukherjee hold the remaining stake of 0.88%.

Indigo Airlines would also been in trouble for a 48% stake being owned by a US based firm, if Government of India, had not changed its policy on FDI.

But few questions still remain and we will get their answers after Aug 1 meeting of FIPB is concluded & we will come to know that whether Interglobe Enterprises was seeking a FIPB nod for FDI into Indigo Airlines or whether they wanted to assure Government of India that a cap of 49% FDI won’t be breached even after an IPO is floated or they just wanted to have a clarification from FIPB on its foreign ownership, which seems difficult as FIPB is a approval body which gives FDI approval & not a regulator like SEBI which gives directions/suggestions/clarifications.

Till Aug 1, rumor mills will keep buzzing & there will be lot many new speculations regarding the same, enjoy the buzz till then,

But one thing I can say very surely,

There will be very interesting days ahead in Indian Aviation,

Air Asia has started operations on June 12 & announced two new routes on Thursday to Chandigarh & Jaipu from Bangalore, and will be getting 5 Airbus 320’s by November,2014.

Tata Singapore Airlines’s first bird Airbus 320 Sharklets VT-TTB MSN 6223,had its Test Flight & was spotted by XFW Spotters painted all white,awaiting brand announcement of the new airline (Taj Air/Taj Airways; may be) & is expected in late August or early September, which will be followed by a proving flight, followed by an AOP from DGCA.

Pic Credit: XFW Blog

They plan to commence operations by Mid October,2014.

6 pending NOC's were cleared by Ministry of Civil Aviation to start new regional/pan India airlines. 

On hiring front, Indigo is badly short of Pilots & will be having another exam to hire Pilots, post Diwali (23 Oct 2014).

Also Jet Airways is thinking on similar lines & may give us a good news soon.

Also Spice Jet is planning another exam,but only selective people will be called for it,as its not possible,due infrastructure limitations to conduct an online exam for all employment seeking CPL holders in India,which are into thousands & its rumored,they may ask 50 thousand as fees to appear in the exam.

If sources are to be believed, four files for approval of vacancy were pending with Rohin Nandan, CMD, Air India who will serve August 8 as his last day in office & in all probability his term won’t be extended.

Out of these four, Air India Cabin Crew hiring file is already approved & its ad has also been floated for 225 vacancies.

Air India Express 737 Type Rated is also expected by September, subject to file’s approval & I have just heard, while writing the blog, Air India 320 Type Rated vacancy of 40 has been approved & will come latest by October, This info couldn’t be cross checked at the time of publishing this blog, as there was no time to check on this. But yes, a 320 Type Rated file was also awaiting approval from CMD & 320 Type Rated vacancy will come, subject to file’s approval.  

Go Air may have a 320 Type Rated exam in as early as September; if it happens then we may have one more exam in Go Air in this year only.

Air Asia India, as its expanding & will be getting 4 more Airbus 320 by November, they may have a 320 Type Rated exam around October, as mentioned by head of flight operations, in public domain on a social media site.  

A big Thank You to all of you for your patience & time devoted in reading this.

If you want to hear from us more often,then

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Love aditya.

In Pictures: JEtihad Joint PC in New Delhi on July 23 2014.

Hey folks,
Just a quick post,
I wanted to share the pictures from the joint PC.

Here is the album link.

@aditya_chaudry: #avgeek Picture Album:66 Pics #EtihadJetTogether @EtihadAirways @jetairways joint pc at #NewDelhi #India on july 23 2014' https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.713167388756664.1073741831.144624842277591&type=1

Cheers.

Love aditya

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Jet Airways heading to another brand identity confusion ?

Whats coming on July 23 ? 

As we all avgeeks eagerly wait for a joint press conference(PC) to be held by Etihad Airways CEO Jamse Hogan & Naresh Goya,Promoter Jet Airways to be held on 23 July at 1030 am at ITC Maurya,New Delhi,some big questions awaits us.

What is the prime objective of this PC,is this just a gimmick to make the JEtihad presence felt to counter Tata-Singapore Airlines buzz,which will also be Full Service Carrier(FCC) or some big tickets reforms are underway at Jet Airways & we will get a glimpse of the same on that day ? 

The time has all the answers,with less than 40hrs left in this PC,there are some very strong rumors which are doing the rounds.

The most important buzz of them is, Etihad Airways is interested to buy a stake in a Budget Carrier in India!! 

Our very senior & very respected independent freelance journalist & blogger of international fame,Neelam Mathews who also writes a Blog as Aerospace Diary mentioned about this in a blog post.

                                                 All Jet Airways ATR"s going to Jet Lite ? 

Another buzz(which is almost certain),it may or may not be announced on 23 July,is that all 18 Jet Airways ATR's will be shifted to operate under Jet Konnect under the JetLite AOP,buzz is all necessary DGCA documentation for same is already under process.

All these 18 birds fly on a AOP of Jet Airways as of today,but out of which 15 are painted in livery of Jet Airways & 3 latest ATR 72-600 ones registered as VT-JCX,JCY & JCZ are painted in Jet Konnect llivery as seen below,which again leads to a brand confusion among guests.

Picture Courtesy:- Very Dear Friend & Ace Spotter Sri Ram Link to Original http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=7818977&nseq=3

Irony is which i just noticed while writing the blog,even a Jet Airways ATR has Konnect written on it,in small,see picture below.

Picture Courtesy:- Praneeth Franklin Link to original http://www.airliners.net/photo/Jet-Airways/ATR-ATR-72-500-(ATR-72-212A)/1896098/L/

There is huge identity crisis prevailing at at Jet Airways since 2007 when Naresh Goyal added Sahara Airlines to its stable and renamed it as Jet Lite which was later renamed as Jet Konnect,which operates on a Jet Lite Air Operator Permit(AOP) but carries a different brand name as Jet Konnect!!                                                                                                                                                     

Is transferring ATR"s to Jet Konnect along with Pilots so simple ? 

If all ATR's need to be transferred to Jet Konnect,which runs on JetLite AOP,then there has to be an approval sough from DGCA to transfer all ATR's to JetLite & this fleet type needs to be approved by DGCA for operations under JetLite AOP,which is an uphill task & is as good as starting a new airline,as all maintenance staff,inventory has to be maintained. 

Another major issue which Jet Airways need to deal with is transferring/sending Pilots on deputation to JetKonnect,a move which is strongly being opposed by National Aviator Guild(NAG),registered Pilot union of Jet Airways.

 

Will this move by management lead to an agitation by Pilots at Jet Airways ?  

A strong discontent among ATR Pilots may lead to an agitation as Pilots will either be sent on 12 month renewable deputation(extendable upto 12 months more) with a marginal difference in salary as compared to Jet Airways.

Second scenario can be that Jet Airways terminates the current contract of ATR Pilots & they are taken with a fresh contract on JetKonnect.Termination of contract needs a 6 month notice & also all pending arrears in range of 12-20 Lakhs for First Officers,Senior First Officers & Captains needs to be cleared which will be a huge cash burden on Jet Airways which posted a record 4000 CR plus losses recently,is badly short of cash. 

Also if arrears of ATR fleet is cleared then rest of the 3 fleets will also demand clearing of their pending arrears.

National Aviators Guild(NAG)  has assured in an email that seniority of  ATR fleet pilots moving to JetKonnect will be protected,So this means sending pilots on deputation is the only option & termination of contract doesn't seems a possibility.

Another fear among ATR fleet pilots is once they go on deputation to JetKonnect,Jet Airways wont let them come back to Jet Airways saying we have requirement in JetKonnect thus hampering their career progression & transition to a 737 or onto a wide body fleet!! 

All these issue regarding ATR Pilots being transferred to Jet Konnect,were covered elaborately in a BS story by Aneesh Phadnis dated 12 July 2014. 

Will Jet Airways announce hiving off Jet Konnect completely from Jet Airways ? 

Another strong buzz is Jet Airways will curtain its domestic operations to pave way for Jet Konnect to take over & Jet Airways will be reduced to a FCC catering to major metros & acting as a feeder service to Abu Dabhi only.

To implement this,4-5 Boieng 737 will also be going along ATR's to join Jet Konnect to strengthen its domestic fleet and operations.

Jet Konnect operates a fleet of 10 737 & 3 ATR"s 72-600 as of today,737 is split into five B737-700s, four B737-800s, & one B737-900(ER).

After this reshuffle of ATR"s & Boeing 737,Jet Konnect will have a combined of 33 birds comprising of 14-15 Boeing 737 & 18 ATR's,it is interesting to note,at its peak Jet Lite had a fleet of 18 Boeing once & 4-5 CRJ's.

  

Another very interesting buzz is which is just a matter of time,eventually sooner or later it will happen is Will Etihad Airways raise its stake to 49 % in Jet Airways ? 

Jet Airways is going through its toughest times as mentioned in this Cuckoo Paul story in Forbes India dated 28 April 2014,this article is worth the read in present context of discussion.

This ET story by Arirban Chowdhury dated 17 July 2014 covers in depth about funds problems at Jet Airways & why Naresh Goyal selling more stake to Etihad Airways to raise its share to 49% is a strong possibility.

Few other buzz doing the rounds which are worth a mention are as follows.

Qatar Airways people were seen at SpiceJet office for an audit,this is not known whether this was a preliminary due diligence round of audit,or a final concluding round,after which a stake sale may happen soon.

But I m told just now,that Spice Jet has denied it in a filing to BSE. 

So did Qatar Airways back out after doing an initial due diligence ? 

This would be interesting to know. 

Another very interesting round of buzz is Tata's are interested to buy  JetLite & convert TataSIA to all Boeing fleet, JetLite along with ATR's will give a good regional presence & 5/20 rule also wont come into picture & TataSIA can fly international from Day1 if this materializes!! 

Lastly when so much is happening in Indian Aviation,then how can we forget man of moment,Subramanian Swamy.

Swamy ji is contemplating to go move to court against Indigo tat it had a 45% FDI even before FDI was allowed,but 49% FDI by FII"s was allowed anyways,so I personally feel this will not happen.Like when Wilbur Ross bought a stake in Spice Jet!!

In the end,a little about Go Air which has delayed delivery of its 20th aircraft & will commence International Operations by next year only,as mentioned on Twitter by our very dear friend Khabri Lal.

Reasons to this are not known yet & May be they are playing a wait & watch game to see how Air Asia India expands & how Tata SIA will start its FCC services from Mumbai & will they fly international sectors from day one,if allowed by waving off 5/20 Rule.

Thats all for today.

Thanks a ton for reading.

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Singapore Airlines First Airbus 380 arrival at T3,Delhi,IGI Airport.

 

It was a memorable experience on May 30,when me,along with Vishal Mehra were invited by Delhi Airport for welcome ceremony of first Airbus 380 arrival at T3,Delhi Airport,IGI.

                          The event was streamed live on Youtube & covered live on CNN-IBN.

I had a chance to have a personal one on one interaction with Mr.I Prabhakar Rao(IPR),CEO,Delhi International Airport(DIAL).

Here is an Edited Excerpts of the conversation I had with IPR,

 Aviator"s Heart:Take us through some developments at IGIA over the last 12 months ? 

 

IPR: Number of Passengers(Px.) is growing,36.88 million px,DIAL got Second best airport award in world yesterday in 25-40 Million px category,Passenger satisfaction rating of 4.84 out of 5,which is remarkable.

We have OTP of 83% with 850-900 movements a day which is remarkable.

78 movements in an hour,one of the highest in world.

This is achieved by CDM,Collaborate Decision Making,involving Pilots,ATC,earlier they used to manually call ATC keeping radio busy,now they get it prior in advance via CDM.,monitors each a/c from  touch down to boarding gate .

Aviator"s Heart: Please share your thoughts on the first scheduled commercial A380 service ? 

IPR: We are very excited for same & 6 aero-bridges,one with 3 gates & one with 2 gates will be deployed to manage smooth transfer of passengers.

Aviator"s Heart: What benefits do u see for 380 operations ? 

For Airlines:-

Clubbed flights like one 380 instead of two 777 flights,

More Passengers,Luxury,More economically viable.

For Airport:-

With less ATM,more Passengers,with wide body aircraft,

More Passenger,

More economically viable.

Aviator"s Heart: What competitive benefits vis a viz other Indian airports does IGIA offer to A380 operators ? 

IPR: Airport facilities are not aircraft specific,we treat all aircrafts & airlines equally. 

 

Aviator"s Heart: AirAsia withdrew from Delhi citing high airport charges. Other airlines too complain of high charges. How is DIAL addressing these concerns?

IPR: UDF is paid by Passengers, 

Out of airlines operating cost,airport charges componet in only 2.3%,

2002-2010 after taking inflation into account,salaries raised so why not Airport charges be increased? 

>DIAl contributes 0.4% of GDP,

>40 % of Net worth of GMR investment in DIAL of 10,000 CR is eroded,we have accumulated losses of 1000 CR,we are not making money,we are in loss,still AERA doest allow us to hike tariffs,

>No one talks about ATF taxation which is 40 % cost component of airlines cost

Airlines lobby is much stronger than Pvt Airport Operators lobby,

So why make a hue & cry on airport charges.

We are still making losses!! 

Aviator"s Heart: How do you see T3 as a Hub,how successful it is ? 

In 2006,International traffic was 3-4 % when DIAL took over,now its 20% 

We are doing good as a hub.

Aviator"s Heart: Do you see FDI in Jet & a potential hub at Abu Dabhi as a threat,that T3 wont be hub for Jet Airways ? 

IPR:Yes,,everything has some merits & de-merits,

We are focusing on positives of FDI,

If FDI comes airline will grow both domestically & Internationally,

So we will ask them to have more flights from T3.

Aviator"s Heart:A380 size will stress resources like baggage handling, immigration, etc. How is IGIA dealing with these challenges ? 

IPR:We have 44 immigration counters,

In 10 mins we can clear 2000 passengers,slots allocation to airlines is accordingly keeping in mind Peak Time capacity so that passengers can clear immigration & terminal smoothly.

Also We had a chance to have an interaction with Mr. Marcel Hungerbuehler,Chief Operating Officer,DIAL.

  

                                      

Here is an Edited Excerpts of the conversation I had with Mr.Marcel,

Aviator"s Heart:Please share your thoughts on the first scheduled commercial A380 service ? 

Marcel:Great  

Aviator"s Heart:How has IGIA prepared for this A380 flight ? 

Marcel:Till now no aero-brideges were connected to upper deck,so it was critical,all our staff was well tranied for 380 ops before hand!! 

Turn around Time,2005 IST was arrival,ETA was 2010,flight landed at 2020 Next departure at 2205 so in less than 2 hrs,we will make the turnaround happen!! 

Aviators"s Heart: Who will be next 380 operator to T3,IGI ? 

Marcel:Lufthansa will be next 380 operator to T3,they have requested winter slots,its just a matter of time,

Aviators"s Heart: What about Emirates Airlines ? 

Marcel: We have not received any request from Emirates Airlines.

A moment to remember!! 

Love aditya.

A big thank you to very dear friends Vishal,Priya & Devesh Sir for this experience. 

P.S:I deeply regret & my apologies that I couldn't write this blog earlier,as was occupied with too many things.

   

Exclusive: Fleet expansion plans of Indian Airlines,where is Indian Aviation heading in terms of expansion.

       

     Picture Credits:Vishal Jolapara 

See Full Image here http://www.airliners.net/photo/Jet-Airways/Boeing-777-35R-ER/2058556/L/&sid=245bfc037c5148e565aff3252cde0b8b

                                                                                      

> Jetairways is scheduled to take delivery of seven 737s during the remainder of this financial year.

> Indigo with the induction of six A320s by Mar‐2015 which will take its fleet size to 85. 

> AirAsia India, TataSIA, and possibly AirCosta, all of which combined could deploy up to 18‐20 aircraft in the market by the end of FY2015. Much is dependent upon AirAsia's rate of expansion which is currently uncertain.

I personally disagree with this,as we know from Vasuki"s Interview (http://theflyingengineer.com/views/interlysis-airasia-india-and-mrithyunjaya-chandilya/) with Mittu Chandilya,CEO,Air Asia India, AirAsia will alone add 6 aircraft by end of CY2014, & hoping to add 14 aircraft by end of FY2014-15,expansion of Air Asia is very clear & well defined.

> AirIndia to lease up to 40 aircraft, of which 32 (20 A320s and 12 ATRs) would be for domestic services,Air India is also only expected to take delivery of 2‐3 additional 787s in FY2015 

> GoAir also placed an order for 10 A320 (firm) + 10 A320 (options) and the delivery of the new aircraft helped stabilize its operations post 2008-09 ( 7 aircraft in service in 2009) & has fleet of 20 as on date,As Go Air starts taking deliveries of its 72 aircraft on order, starting 2015, it will attempt something it has never done before, inducting 1 plane a month.It will have to launch new stations in 

quick succession, ramp up its revenue management and start moving towards being a leader in fares than being a follower by merely matching up fares.(Go air details Quoted from dear friend Ameya's blog http://blogsofameya.blogspot.in/2014/04/go-air-silent-performer.html ) 

> SpiceJet is expected to see a contraction of its domestic operations as the carrier engages in a restructuring of its business to address its serious financial situation.

P.S: Analysis based on Capa Aviation"s report of today,and some old blogs as mentioned.

Hope it helps for a better understanding to all dear friends & fellow aviators about airlines fleet expansion & job seekers can plan for future in a better way.

Love aditya.

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Say No to Airtel;An open Letter to Mr.Sunil Bharti Mittal,Chairman,Airtel.

                                    

To,
     Mr.Sunil Bharti Mittal,
     Chairman,
     Bharti Airtel, 
     Bharti Cresent,
     1,Nelson Mandela Road,
     Vasant Kunj,
     New Delhi.
       110070 

 I am writing you this email after loosing all the hope on Bharti Airtel.

I have 4 Airtel Numbers as following:-

2 of them i use for voice calling exclusively & 2 for Data & Data/Voice.

1.8171461793- Data purpose,Monthly Recharge of ₹749,atleast.
2.8865899189- Voice calling purpose,Monthly recharge of ₹1100 atleast.
3.9958887747-Data & Voice,this is on roaming,so monthly recharge of ₹749 & ₹79 for roaming & occasional top ups of ₹200 monthly.
4.9997962410- Voice Calling,Monthly Recharge of ₹1100  

In total I pay Bharti Airtel ₹3977 which is a minimum figure,and has no upper limit depending on data usage & calls.

What do I get in return ? 

Poor service & upon numerous complaints,No resolution of complaint. 

Last Compliant Number: QCESO10605265982 

An engineer Ketan(mobile number 9760864871) did visit my place,but whats new in this,this was a third engineer visit in past 6 months,but no output.

Network Team recommends installing of a Repitor,as there is only 1 DOT of signal inside my house,and absolutely no network issue outdoor,but in spite repeated requests & recommendations of network team to get a repitor installed,it fell on deaf ears of Airtel &  no action was taken.

Also upon calling UPW Nodal Numbers,0121-4007499 this number is not connecting & other number 0121-4010070 went unanswered.

A company which cant have an effective & running,easy to contact,nodal system in place for grievance redressal,I can easily imagine the state of day to day affairs of operations in that company.

In the end,I would like to appreciate & convey a special Thanks to Mr.Aamir Ali,Lucknow Head office,who tried his Best,so that I stay with Airtel,he is very polite & helpful man & tried his best to follow up the issue every time,whenever i had made a complaint with UPW Network Team,but i am very sad to say,UPW Team is very lethargic & don't wanna do any work & just keeps passing the blame to each other,  and all incomparable efforts of Mr.Aamir Ali got absolutely no support from UPW Team & all his efforts went in vain.  

Finally I have decided to buy a Tata Docomo Portable Wifi Hot spot,which is also way cheaper (₹1000 for 20 GB 3G Data) than useless services of Airtel & wont be recharging my both data numbers(₹749+₹749) & will do MNP soon for rest of the 2 numbers ending every relationship with airtel,Thus causing a minimum loss of revenue of atleast ₹4000-₹5000 monthly if not more.

Also being a responsible citizen of India,its my duty to make my fellow citizens aware of the poor service standards of Airtel so that they all can save their valuable time & money by not choosing any of the Airtel services ever & hence i will share this open letter on my personal blog,my Facebook profile,a Facebook page i run & on my twitter timeline as well.

Good Bye Airtel.

Aditya.

                                             

What is SUCCESS for You?

Most of us learn that success equals some form of achievement in the world.   For many it’s not the achievement but the recognition and the applause that they crave.  For others it’s not the arrival but the journey that generates the satisfaction of success.  They value the process more than the prize.  For some the pursuit of success will be avoided at all costs, sometimes for fear of failure, and sometimes for the fear of ...success!  And, for a few, just living simply and sincerely each day will be deemed to be successful enough!  

At some stage in all our lives there’s a good chance we will each stop and consider the question, “What does success mean to me?”, even if it’s only for a few fleeting minutes! However, if we don’t contemplate this question deeply then it’s likely we will blindly follow others ideas and measures of success, usually learned in childhood, craved in youth and pursued into our adult years.  We may not notice the connection between our dissatisfactions, however superficial or deep, with the absence of a consciously defined and chosen idea of a what ‘successful life’ looks like and feels like. It is the clarity of this inner vision/wisdom that gives focus to our energies, adding significantly to the sense that we are creating a meaningful life.

So what price success?  That’s the note that many of the modern day ‘success gurus’ begin and end on.  It means how much are you prepared to sacrifice to achieve the success you want.  How hard are you prepared to work?  What are you willing to do to get there?  What sacrifices are you prepared to make?  Interesting questions, but they do make it all sound like hard work!  

How do YOU define success? Is it simply the completion of the next task, another job well done, a promise kept, an exam passed, a medal won, a mountain climbed, a target hit, a happy family raised or the leaving of a legacy that ensures you will be remembered long after you have gone? Whatever you ‘believe’ success to be will have a profound influence on your life. If you were to follow the predominant mindset in the world today then success would likely be measured by acquisition. The more you have the more successful you are. 

When we inherit and absorb the prevalent beliefs that the world is a place of scarcity, that the purpose of life is survival, that we must accumulate stuff to prosper, and that the more you get the happier you will feel, then success equals ‘more’.  More can be almost any quantity - objects, money, properties, trophies, celebrity, fame, fans.  And in terms of position, it simply means higher.

When we are taught to believe there is not enough to go around the media delights in keeping us abreast of upcoming shortages.  And if there aren’t any obvious ones they will likely invent them for us!  So we learn to speak the common language of `not enoughness’ or ‘scarcity'. We then struggle and strive for what we consider is our rightful share of the ‘great pie’, before someone else gets it, and ‘more’ is not only good, but applauded when attained.  

So what does it mean to be successful? At what level, in what context and by whose standards? 

If you were to give yourself some time to live in this question you would likely arrive at the fairly obvious insight that, at the deepest level, success in life is not a material thing, it is not something that can be possessed, or won, or even attracted!  It is a state of being.  Some call it contentment, or happiness, or even peace. These are, for some, the deepest and most meaningful ‘symptoms of success’, but only when they are internally stable and consistent and therefore not dependent on anything outside ourselves.  

In the meantime success for most of us, tends to be context specific.  As we consider ‘context’ we start to see why the kind of success that we have been encouraged to pursue has many levels and more than a few flaws.

SPORTING Success - in this context it’s obviously about competition and winning, being number one and being recognised and glorified by others as the one who took the prize.  How often are we reminded that no one remembers the runner up?  But few seem to ask why would I want to be remembered?  Should the desire to be ‘not forgotten’ have a ‘danger sign’ hung around it that says ‘ego at work’?  And notice how much suffering is required to reach the sporting peaks.  Seldom do we see relaxed and contented sports people as they take their struggling and striving very seriously.  They will say it’s worth the pain.  Others would say life was not meant to be a painful, tense and injurious affair, inflicted upon our self by ourselves! Was sport not originally a game in which the ‘joy of play’ was given free reign?  A time when faces smiled consistently and frustration, tension and anger were impossible.

BUSINESS  Success - seems to range from building a large business to profitability to being recognised for excellence of service.  Sometimes all three parameters are pursued, but unless they are prioritised there is the danger none will be achieved.  And if profit is prioritised over service it’s fairly obvious that the energy behind the enterprise will become fear based and therefore quite a stressful endeavour.  Which explains why most business people know stress intimately.  It’s a serious business...business! And, when the ‘purpose of service’ is lost and the profit motive kicks in, that’s usually when need turns into greed and the ripple effect touches many far and wide.  Hence the global financial turmoil that we see today.

ACADEMIC Success - intellectual prowess tends to be the way this kind of success is achieved, coupled with rather a good memory, naturally!  It is often dependent on acquiring peer approval and the desire to join a select club.  It can easily result in an ‘I know the most and the best’ attitude; a closed and narrow mindset that tends to characterise the ‘specialist’ and the ‘expert’.  And is it not unnatural to be closed and narrow at any time and in any area of life, unless you are a water pipe!

SCIENTIFIC Success - new theories, new dimensions of old theories, inventions of new technologies, the creation of new procedures, making fresh discoveries, all carry the ‘success kitemark’ in the scientific arena.  Yet it’s all very material and ‘out there’ which tends to deny the other dimension we call spirit and the ‘in here’.  Scientific success certainly dominates our world today, but at what price we now ask, as we live increasingly isolated and technologically dependent lives, while sucking dry the natural wealth of the planet!  Mmm...!

POLITICAL Success - tends to be measured by the acquisition of position and power, though much ‘lip service’ is given to the notion of public service.  And while the intentions towards the upliftment of society are authentic and worthy we now know success in this arena is fragile and crumbles easily, can often be easily corrupted, and darker motives can often be found behind the desire to serve others.  And as more people rebel against the dictatorial political forces that have traditionally controlled our destiny,  as more people demand a greater say in their fate, we now see the moral and ethical chaos that is generated as we/they realise and exercise new freedoms.  

RELIGIOUS Success - once upon a time the pastoral care of a community provided the primary measure of a religions success.  But religion has also become blurred and burdened by it’s own structures and systems, internal politics and power games, not to mention the fanatical adherence to belief and behaviour systems that were invented hundreds of years ago in another age and in a completely different context.  

SPIRITUAL Success - is a state of being sometimes referred to as enlightenment.  But is it achieved or restored, or both?  Perhaps it’s one fundamental difference from the other ‘levels of success’ is you wouldn’t know someone has arrived at such an intangible and internal success unless you were in their presence for some time.  Even then their simplicity and humility would probably deflect attention away from themselves.  Can this form of  incognito success still be classified as ...success?

That’s not to say that success in any of the above arenas is not worth pursuing.  But there is value in considering how success is both viewed, defined and achieved in each context.

Inner Success

When we do take some time out and reflect on what exactly is personal success we may notice a deepening of our awareness.  We may realise that personal success comes in ways that we seldom recognise as signs of success!  The signs are internal and usually momentary in the context of our relationships.  And when we build and shape, design and create, these inner capacities and states, then all other levels of success become both easier to achieve, and yet, paradoxically, less relevant and/or much less meaningful.

Inner success looks and feels more like the capability: 

• to act with total honesty and integrity thus generating a clear conscience without which the authentic happiness that we call contentment is impossible
• to remain peaceful and stable when all around you are in crisis or chaos 
• to value what you are more than what you have
• to accept full responsibility for all thoughts, feelings, words and actions
• to be able to see past the weaknesses/mistakes of others and focus on their inherent goodness/strengths
• to be able to let go of the past
• to give without the desire for anything in return

Notice how intangible these measures are.  No one else can measure them except our self. Notice how we seldom ask ourselves why we cannot achieve and maintain these inner states of being and the kind of enlightened behaviours that we would probably all desire all the time.  Unless we ‘can do’ all of these it is unlikely we will achieve the deepest measure of success which is to be content within our self and able ‘to give’ our best to others without condition.  And as long as we desire to change the world around us it means we are still trying to ‘police the universe’.  The enlightened soul however, has realised that is not ‘my job’.  They know that the light and power that emanates from a stable state, a contented state, from a giving intention, is the greatest and most influential gift to others and to the world.

Success is Personal

As you reflect and contemplate on what success is going to look like and feel like for you, perhaps it’s useful to include three key considerations.

1  Any success that is dependent on public recognition and acclaim will inevitably lead to insecurity and eventual depression, as does all forms of dependency.

2  When success is defined by an end product, an outcome, or some final achievement, then life tends to be a continuous struggling and striving to ‘get there’.  Our happiness is continuously delayed.  In other words, not such a joy filled journey!

3  If success is defined by the acquisition or accumulation of anything then fear will always be lurking in the background.  Fear of failure which is the same as the fear of loss.  Stress will be our companion.

No matter which way that you look at it success is a very personal issue.  It tends to be shrouded in many illusions and delusions, depending on our upbringing.  It’s achievement is now championed by hundreds of success gurus and coaches, mentors and trainers, all waiting in the wings to advise and guide us.  All promising a ‘magic formula’ which ranges from the secrets of attraction to the power of self-belief, from the work harder ethic to the development of your creative genius, from how to ‘unleash’ your potential to invoking the angels of success to take over your life!

But before we listen to anyone (including this article) it’s probably worthwhile finding a tree, on a quiet and sunny hillside, by a peaceful meadow, next to meandering river, to sit and gently reflect on what only our own heart can tell us in response to the question, “What does success really mean to me”?   It will of course generate many other questions.  Like what is the purpose of my life?  What do I value?  But then ‘they’ do say that when it comes to this unique and special journey called life there is a time when the asking ‘right questions’ are much more important than having the right answers.

Question:  What does success mean to you?

Reflection:  Why do you think your definition of success might be challenging to achieve (scribble some notes to yourself)