The Walshe Group is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, marking five decades at the forefront of destination and aviation representation across Australia and New Zealand. Founded in 1976 by Rodney Walshe, the company has evolved from a small entrepreneurial venture into a globally respected airline GSA and tourism representation business, playing a pivotal role in shaping travel demand, forging trusted partnerships and supporting the sustainable growth of airline and tourism brands worldwide.
Today, The Walshe Group represents a diverse portfolio of international airlines and national and regional destinations, and operates a dedicated inbound tourism arm, underpinned by a commitment to long-term partnerships, results-driven performance and industry leadership.
We put the spotlight on IndiGo Airlines as we chat to Shubham Gulati, National Sales Manager – Australia & New Zealand for IndiGo Airlines.
IndiGo is one of the fastest-growing airlines globally – how is the airline positioning itself within the Australian and New Zealand market?
IndiGo is entering the Australia and New Zealand market with a clear proposition: reliability, value for money, and strong connectivity into and within India, as well as beyond. As the largest airline in India with 430+ aircraft and a market share of 63%, IndiGo brings scale, a fleet of new and modern aircraft, operational consistency, and an extensive network.
Our focus is to position IndiGo not just as a carrier into India, but as a comprehensive connectivity partner, enabling travellers to seamlessly access both major cities and regional destinations across the country through a single network.
With The Walshe Group appointed as General Sales Agent for ANZ, what does this mean for the travel trade in terms of access, support, and sales opportunities?
The appointment of The Walshe Group significantly strengthens our presence in the region by bringing local market expertise and dedicated trade engagement. For the travel trade, this means more responsive support, clearer communication, and better access to fares and product information. It also allows us to collaborate more closely with agents through structured initiatives, helping them drive conversions and grow the business into and within India more effectively.
For travel agents who may not yet be familiar with IndiGo, what are the key selling points that set the airline apart, particularly for travel to India and beyond?
IndiGo’s key strengths lie in its extensive network, operational reliability, and value-driven approach. The airline offers broad connectivity across India, including major metro hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, as well as tier-2 and tier-3 cities, allowing travellers to go beyond traditional entry points and access a much wider range of destinations.
From the ANZ market, one of the key advantages is the baggage offering on select itineraries to India, which includes two pieces of checked baggage (up to 46 kg total) along with 7 kg of cabin baggage. This is particularly attractive for VFR and student segments.
Combined with competitive fares and consistent service, IndiGo provides a practical, high-value solution for both agents and travellers.
IndiGo has significantly expanded its global reach, including partnerships with airlines like Qantas – how does this enhance connectivity for Australian travellers?
Our partnerships with Qantas and Jetstar play a key role in enhancing connectivity between Australia and India.
Through these partnerships, travellers can access integrated travel options via key hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo, and Phuket, making journeys more flexible and convenient.
This allows agents to create well-connected itineraries with smoother transfers and better scheduling options, while leveraging IndiGo’s extensive domestic network for onward travel within India.
India is a rapidly growing outbound and inbound market – how is IndiGo tapping into this demand, and what opportunities does this create for the travel trade?
India’s aviation market continues to grow at a strong pace, driven by rising demand across international outbound, inbound, and domestic travel.
IndiGo is tapping into this growth through ongoing network expansion, increased connectivity, and strategic partnerships, ensuring wider access across both domestic and international markets.
For the travel trade, this creates significant opportunities across VFR, student travel, SME corporate movement, and leisure travel, particularly as more travellers look to explore destinations beyond the traditional metro cities. Tourism to India from Australia and New Zealand is growing rapidly, and IndiGo is positioning itself to support this increasing demand.
Connectivity through India is becoming increasingly important. How can agents leverage IndiGo’s extensive domestic network to build more diverse itineraries across the country?
The key opportunity for agents lies in moving beyond single-destination travel and building multi-city itineraries.
IndiGo’s extensive domestic network allows agents to combine major gateways with regional and emerging destinations, creating itineraries that reflect the diversity of India.
This approach enables agents to position India as a multi-experience destination — covering culture, experiences, business, leisure, and spirituality — within a single journey.
What types of travellers are currently choosing IndiGo from the ANZ market, and where are you seeing the strongest growth segments?
We are seeing strong demand from VFR travellers, students, and SME corporate segments, all of which are core drivers of India-bound travel from ANZ.
At the same time, there is growing interest from premium leisure travellers who are increasingly looking to explore non-traditional destinations within India.
The strongest growth is coming from travellers who value affordability combined with deeper connectivity, particularly those travelling beyond the major metro cities.
How is IndiGo supporting the travel trade through training, partnerships, incentives or sales initiatives across Australia and New Zealand?
IndiGo is committed to building strong relationships with the travel trade through continuous engagement and practical support initiatives.
This includes training programs, joint marketing activities, targeted incentives, and ongoing collaboration with The Walshe Group to ensure agents are well-equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to effectively promote the airline.
Our focus is on creating a collaborative ecosystem where agents feel supported and confident in selling IndiGo.
With a wide network across India, how can agents package the country as a multi-destination experience using IndiGo’s services?
India offers extraordinary and unique potential as a multi-destination market, and IndiGo’s network enables seamless connectivity across a wide range of cities.
Agents can design itineraries that combine metro cities, cultural landmarks, regional hubs, and leisure destinations, offering travellers a more immersive and well-rounded experience.
This not only enhances the customer journey but also allows agents to increase itinerary value and differentiation.
Finally, what advice would you give to travel agents looking to grow their IndiGo bookings and capitalise on the airline’s expansion in the region?
The key is to adopt a network-driven approach to selling rather than focusing solely on point-to-point travel.
By leveraging IndiGo’s connectivity across India, along with partnerships via key transit hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, Colombo, and Phuket, agents can build more flexible, competitive, and value-driven itineraries.
Highlighting benefits such as strong baggage allowances on applicable routes — including up to 46 kg checked baggage and 7 kg cabin baggage — can further support conversion, especially for VFR and student travellers.
Agents who stay engaged with trade updates and actively explore the network will be best positioned to capture growth as demand continues to expand.
