Discovering colour, compassion and inclusion at Kempegowda Airport

by Martin Moodie |
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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.
In just under two decades IndiGo has burgeoned from a start-up to India’s largest airline

From my Interim Bureau at TAJ Bangalore I am enjoying a spectacularly panoramic view of Kempegowda Internatinal Airport Bengaluru’s twin-parallel runways.

An IndiGo aircraft is taxiing along one of the airstrips, a constant sight here as the airport’s passenger traffic surges (41 million last year, up +12% year-on-year). In 2024 IndiGo became the first Indian airline to carry more than 100 million passengers in a year.

I’m here to attend the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) Pinnacle Awards this evening, a programme that recognises and rewards performance excellence among airport stakeholders. I had the privilege of being a judge and I can promise you the widespread levels of commitment and quality that simply permeate this great gateway made for some tough evaluation calls.

I have said before that the arrivals duty-free store here (run in a joint venture between Bangalore International Airport Limited and Avolta), is the best I have seen in any airport worldwide and my experience in the wee small hours of yesterday morning only confirmed that impression.

I will let the visuals tell the story – one of colour, vibrancy, space, great merchandising, a fantastic product offerng (both local and international) and outstandingly attentive and courteous service.

Just moments off the plane, I am drawn into the walk-through arrivals store by its dazzlingly framed entrance 
The art of Japanese blending is brought to life by The House of Suntory
Well-communicated value offers help spur impulse and incremental spending
Clearly segmented back walls allied to an outstanding brand line-up draw customers deep into the store
Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru is known as ‘Terminal in a Garden’ and here that mantra spreads to the beauty category, underlined by the beautifully coloured design touches

Customers can discover a new signature scent or find the perfect gift for a loved one with the simple to use Fragrance Finder
And another garden, this time with a sweet touch, to lead the traveller into the extensive confectionery zone

Get the feeling we might be in India?
Nice to see innovative Dubai-based independent chocolate house Harison so well represented here. As reported, the brand celebrated its 10th anniversary last year.
And talking of Dubai and chocolate, Swiss house Lindt was quick to react to the Dubai Chocolate phenomenon that first took the emirate by storm and now is proving a similar hit in many countries around the world. Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate combines milk chocolate with pistachio paste filling and crunchy Kadayif pastry. And I can promise you it is every bit as delicious as it sounds.

It is good to see Bengaluru Duty Free giving prominence to independent and Indian brands to complement the international blockbusters. An example of the former is 99ML by Horstmann, the brainchild of entrepreneur Johan Horstmann. “We are the world’s only brand that caters solely for airline passengers,” he says. “The 100ml rule for airport security is a de facto standard in the world now. As the name 99ML implies, the entire range comes in travel-friendly formats.”
Careful segmentation is key to the success of the offer. Note the Luxury Chocolate wall bay.
Sip, Savour, Save: A flat -50% offer on all wines (in departures too) makes for an attractive shopping proposition in a category that is booming across India. According to Technavio, the country’s wine market will show a +47.6% CAGR from 2024 to 2028. Bengaluru Duty Free is clearly intent on getting in on the action.

A compact but highly visible tobacco offer is another key drawcard
The point of sale is well set up to encourage incremental impulse purchases

I also had the immense pleasure of visiting the new Mitti Café in the public forecourt outside the arrivals zone. As in brand new, having just opened around eight hours earlier.

As I have written before on this Blog, Mitti Café is a wondrous social enterprise, founded by an extraordinary young female entrepreneur Alina Alam (named among The Moodie Davitt Report People of the Year in 2024) and dedicated to empowering individuals with disabilities by providing them opportunities for economic independence and dignity.

The Bengaluru gateway was the first airport to welcome a Mitti Café, a breakthrough that led to more openings across fellow Indian airports and other high-profile public institutions.

This latest and most ambitious Mitti Café incarnation to date was designed with sublime artistry and deep affection by the prodigiously talented Aura Dezyne Founder and Principal Designer Payal Khanna (a speaker at FAB 2025 in late June).

It’s as joyous an environment as you’ll ever find in an airport, a mood that is marvellously reflected by the team members, all keen to display, as the Mitti mantra has it, ‘The Magic of Abilities’.

I was welcomed like an old friend, even though some of the staff were new to me, enjoying a delicous cup of Masala Chai and some cookies while chatting with the team and managers Aayush and Akhil.

If Bengaluru Duty Free is the airport world’s best arrivals duty-free shop, this Mitti Café is surely its most special food & beverage outlet, ‘The Magic of Abilities’ writ large across the warmest smiles you could ever hope to encounter on your travels.

Such a pleasure to spend time in the company of a group of consummate professionals. Pictured from left with me are Prasana Reddy, Ajay, Prasana Kumar, Mahesh, Karunamayudu, Manjunath S, Srinivas BM and Mitti Café Manager Aayush Karel
This is the most ambitious Mitti Café incarnation to date, designed by Aura Dezyne Founder and Principal Designer Payal Khanna, the creastive genius behind the airport’s acclaimed 080 domestic and international lounges
What a joyous place this is

Some nice shots with Duty Manager Akhil (left) and Care by blr Senior Customer service agent Akshay Bhavimani. Akshay and his colleague Manikanta. N (below right) kindly met me on arrival and saw me, post-Mitti Café visit, to my waiting transport.

Aayush Karel is justifiably proud to be part of the inspirational Mitti Café movement {see foot of page for more photos}
Bangalore International Airport Limited Managing Director Hari Marar (left) with me at the BIAL-run TAJ Bangalore today: “We want to be recognised as an airport that takes accessibility and inclusion to a level that nobody else has done”

Today I had the equally welcome opportunity to have a coffee and chat with Bangalore International Airport Limited Managing Director Hari Marar.

Click on the image to read Hari Marar’s memorable interview with me published last September {Page 14 onwards}

Hari is one of the most articulate and visionary airport executives you could ever meet, an outstanding professional and one with a rare and burning sense of humanity. Talking about his and BIAL’s priorities for 2025 and beyond, he told me,“We want to be recognised as an airport that takes accessibility and inclusion to a level that nobody else has done.”

What a noble mission and given BIAL’s track record over its proud first17 years (an anniversary celebrated earlier this week), few would bet against it being delivered. ✈