Dropped Out, Drove a Tempo, Now Launching India’s Newest Airline: Meet Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, Kanpur Man Behind Shankh Air

Once a school dropout who drove a tempo on the streets of Kanpur to make ends meet, Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma is now preparing to enter India’s highly competitive aviation sector. The self-made entrepreneur is the founder and chairman of Shankh Air, India’s newest startup airline, which is expected to take to the skies in early 2026. 

With no formal education in aviation and no elite business pedigree, Vishwakarma’s journey from a lower-middle-class background to launching an airline has emerged as one of the most unlikely and talked-about success stories in recent times.

How Did a Kanpur Tempo Driver Become India’s Newest Airline Founder?

Shravan Kumar Vishwakarma, born into a middle-class family in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. He exited formal schooling at an early age, showing little inclination toward academics. With financial responsibilities pushing him into the workforce, he took up various odd jobs to support himself, including working as a tempo driver on the streets of his hometown. 

These early years of struggle, marked by long hours and modest earnings, laid the foundation for the grit and resilience that would later define his entrepreneurial journey. 

How Did Shankh Agencies Fund India’s Newest Airline Dream?

Over the years, Vishwakarma gradually developed an interest in entrepreneurship and began experimenting with multiple business ventures. He initially entered the building materials trade before expanding into sectors such as steel, transport, and mining. 

“Once the thought struck me, I began understanding the process, how to get the NOC, what are the rules and how the system works. What started as an idea four years ago has now taken shape,” he said, according to news agency PTI.

He further added, “In the circumstances we grew up, just earning a livelihood was seen as enough. Dreaming beyond that was almost unthinkable.”

His most successful enterprise, Shankh Agencies Private Limited, founded in 2022, operates in building materials, ceramics, concrete products, and wholesale trading. The company’s strong performance gave him the financial backing needed to make a bold entry into India’s fiercely competitive aviation industry.