How IndiGo's Multi-Cloud Shift Is Shaping Its Digital Future
IndiGo's Multi-Cloud Strategy Accelerates AI-Driven Solutions and Customer ServiceIndiGo, India's leading low-cost airline with a fleet of over 350 aircraft operating 2,000 daily flights, has embarked on a significant digital transformation journey by migrating from traditional data centers to a multi-cloud infrastructure. In less than 18 months, the airline migrated all of its workloads to the cloud and has since closed its data centers, IndiGo said.
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"IndiGo's cloud migration initiative has put us on the fast track of our digital transformation journey," said Neetan Chopra, chief digital and information officer at IndiGo. "We set ourselves a challenging timeline to fully transition to the cloud and close our data centers, and we’re proud to announce that we achieved this goal on time." This shift to the cloud has provided the airline with greater flexibility, resilience and scalability.
As IndiGo completes 18 years of flight operations, moving to the cloud will further accelerate its digital transformation. Over the past two years, the focus has been on modernizing core systems to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience. But this journey is far from complete. In the coming years, IndiGo plans to explore data integration and AI applications, laying the groundwork for real-time optimization through data-driven decision-making and digital twins to mirror operational processes. This data-driven approach is essential for better understanding passenger needs and optimizing efficiency.
A Multi-Cloud Strategy
IndiGo's transition to the cloud involved adopting a multi-cloud strategy, with Microsoft Azure as the primary platform and Google Cloud supporting critical applications. By using Red Hat OpenShift on Azure, the airline ensured cloud-agnostic services that offer flexibility to run workloads across multiple platforms.
This multi-cloud architecture has provided IndiGo high availability, scalability and workload portability, minimizing risks and maximizing efficiency. This meticulously planned and phased migration ensured smooth daily operations, aligning with broader digital goals.
In an interview with CIO.inc, IndiGo said it structured its migration in carefully planned sprints, moving workloads in phases. This phased approach allowed the airline to mitigate risks while ensuring continuous service during the transition.
As part of the transition, IndiGo halted investments in its legacy data centers, redirecting funds to cloud technologies to drive long-term growth and innovation. This strategy enabled the airline to keep pace with growing business demands while scaling its cloud infrastructure.
Faster, Scalable Operations
With over 80% of its operations now running on cloud-native platforms, IndiGo has redefined its operational landscape. The cloud integration initiative has delivered measurable results, including faster processing to improved service availability, positioning the airline for more scalable and resilient future operations.
In 2023, IndiGo adopted a data fabric platform to manage expansive datasets. With a strong focus on governance, lineage and metadata management, IndiGo is now preparing its infrastructure for advanced AI and machine learning applications. This will help the airline process data more efficiently and generate crucial insights.
Securing Cloud Transition
IndiGo's cloud migration is supported by a robust governance framework that prioritizes security and compliance. Continuous monitoring and regular engineering workshops ensure that security standards are maintained at every stage of the migration.
IndiGo also implements a defense-in-depth security strategy, with encryption, access controls and threat detection to safeguard its cloud infrastructure. While Microsoft and Google handle infrastructure security, IndiGo - under the shared responsibility model - manages data and applications, securing sensitive customer information.
Regular compliance checks and stringent access controls further strengthen the airline's data integrity, securing its cloud operations against potential threats, the company said.
6eskai for Customer Service
One of the most innovative outcomes of IndiGo's digital transformation is 6eskai, an AI-powered chatbot developed in collaboration with Microsoft and powered by OpenAI's GPT-4. Capable of communicating in 10 languages, 6eskai manages various customer services, including bookings, check-ins and trip planning. The chatbot has become a new digital channel for customer interaction, generating significant revenue.
In 2024, 6eskai has already processed over 8,000 bookings, generating more than $220,000 in revenue. 6eskai is a crucial component of our digital strategy, IndiGo said, noting how it complements other digital channels such as IndiGo's website, app and WhatsApp services.
Short-Term Wins, Long-Term Gains
IndiGo's move to the cloud has delivered immediate benefits, including on-demand resource availability, cost savings with a pay-as-you-go model and the ability to scale rapidly in response to changing demands.
IndiGo's website and mobile app have undergone significant architectural changes, with ongoing efforts focused on improving user interface and user experience.
The airline is further set to harness advanced data analytics, AI and ML to gain deeper insights into customer behavior and market trends. These capabilities will allow the airline to offer personalized services and make data-driven decisions.
Takeaways From IndiGo's Transition to Cloud
Reflecting on its cloud migration journey, IndiGo has identified seven key lessons:
- Plan thoroughly: Pre-migration audits and assessments are essential to determining the best migration approach.
- Prioritize training: Investing in training ensures teams are equipped to navigate cloud environments. IndiGo's dedicated cloud engineering team plays a pivotal role in this effort.
- Foster a cultural shift: A successful cloud migration requires cross-organizational collaboration. Regular alignment sessions help build a cohesive strategy.
- Strategize data management: Organizing and cleaning data before migration is key to managing costs and ensuring compliance.
- Take an incremental approach: A phased migration minimizes operational disruptions and allows for thorough testing.
- Focus on security: Understanding the shared responsibility model and ensuring security measures such as encryption are vital.
- Control costs: Cloud FinOps is essential for managing expenses efficiently as workloads move to the cloud.
