A Delhi-Bengaluru flight recently turned extraordinary for Bengaluru entrepreneur Udayan Walvekar, founder & CEO of GrowthX, when a co-passenger – a pilot – unexpectedly recognised his startup. Sharing the moment on X, Walvekar described it as a classic “small world” encounter.

During the flight, the pilot, seated beside him, casually asked to borrow a book he wasn’t using. That simple icebreaker led to a deeper conversation. As she shared her career journey, it came out she once worked at hedge fund DE Shaw before switching careers to aviation.

Intrigued, Walvekar began explaining GrowthX’s vision. To his surprise, she paused and said, “I’ve heard of this before. Do you folks host retreats?” When he confirmed they had an offsite in Goa two months ago, she smiled and revealed that she’d met some GrowthX members at an airport who spoke about the event.

Walvekar was stunned by the coincidence. He recounted how the pilot then enlightened him about aviation – the precision of flying a 200-ton machine at 40,000 feet, the robust safety systems, and the relentless training pilots undergo.

What struck Walvekar most was her calm assurance and passion for her profession. He wrapped up his post wishing her future success, “First Officer ‘A’, hope you earn that fourth stripe soon!”

Founded in 2019, GrowthX addresses the gap in India’s startup scene by offering curated learning for founders and professionals. The platform recently joined forces with Zerodha’s Zero1 media network to further empower budding entrepreneurs.