Captain Gopinath honoured by French government

BANGALORE: The French government on Saturday conferred the 'Knight of the Legion of Honour' award on Captain GR Gopinath, Chairman of Air Deccan, for his contribution to the development of Indo-French cooperation in aviation sector.

Titled in French as 'Chevalier de la Legion d' Honneur', the award was conferred on Gopinath by French Ambassador Dominique Girard at a function at the Alliance Francaise.

The order of the Legion of Honour, instituted in 1802 by Napolean Bonaparte, is the highest national distinction conferred by the French government.

Speaking on the occasion, the French Ambassador said the honour was a rare one and conferred on those who had impacted society greatly.

Captain Gopinath was selected for his role in revolutionising air travel and making it accessible to the common man.

"It was not only a business model but a humanistic vision in bringing everyone on to the same realm", he said, before decorating Gopinath with a silver medallion.

Describing Gopinath's success story from the 'cocoon to the cockpit' as a commendable one, apparently referring to his earlier links with sericulture, Girard said Gopinath had initiated the process of modernisation 'by envisioning an India where the booming economy would mean the middle class would have to be catered to.'