How Travel Tech Firm Ixigo Survived The Pandemic With Its ‘No-Firing’ Policy

Crises separate men from boys. They test entrepreneurs’ grit, perseverance and passion against an uncertain future. But very few crises could match the level of a global pandemic that brings businesses to a standstill, wipes out revenue and triggers massive layoffs. When India went into a nationwide lockdown in March this year to prevent the spread of Covid-19, online travel ecommerce company Ixigo’s revenue came crashing down to zero overnight. No amount of planning could have prepared the company for this contingency. With a cash runway of just six months, the founders – Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar – were running against time. Their company had survived the 2008 financial crisis, but this time, it was different. What they achieved in the next few months makes them our choice for this unique survivor story. In this story, we will trace the journey of the entrepreneurs who have waged a tough war against the pandemic slowdown and emerged victorious against heavy odds,…