Winner’s Speak - Thomas Cook (India)

Ashwini Kakkar, chief executive officer and managing director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd in conversation with Reema Sisodia highlights the company's success and its future plans

What does the award mean to you?

It is an affirmation of the efforts that Thomas Cook as a company has put into energising the customer experience. It is a satisfying award for us since it is an industry award.

What according to you has been the reason for this success?

There are two vital aspects that come to my mind in an instant,

1) Team work

2) Customer focus. We at Thomas Cook work as a strong network of people with great emphasis being laid on ethics and transparency in working and functioning.

How do you plan to retain the success bestowed on the organisation?

We are a process driven organisation and we try to institutionalise the progress. We have a team that is highly talented and focussed with the right orientation to handle future challenges that would emerge in the field.

What are the future plans of the company?

There is a lot in store for the future. Our plan is to spread our network geographically in the SAARC region and also within India. Expansion plans in terms of our administrative and physical presence along with strengthening our marketing initiative is also high on the agenda.We are also hoping to actively promote rail holidays within India for which we hope for concrete support from the railway ministry where travel, where permission can be granted for travel agencies to book rail tickets through computerised reservation systems like the airlines. Product expansions plans are also in the pipeline. We have also planned certain technology initiatives, hope to encourage e-network transactions and also introduce special Thomas Cook out bound charters once the concerned ministries at the centre grants us the permission to do the needful.