Ashwani Lohani

Ashwani Lohani (born 22 December 1958) is an eminent Indian civil servant, engineer, and corporate executive known for his leadership across the Indian Railways, aviation, and tourism sectors. A 1980-batch officer of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), he has built a reputation as a transformative administrator capable of revitalising large and complex public-sector organisations. His career has been marked by innovation, discipline, and a strong emphasis on institutional efficiency and heritage preservation.

Early Life and Education

Ashwani Lohani was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, where he completed his schooling at St. Aloysius High School. Demonstrating an early aptitude for technical subjects, he pursued engineering studies at the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IRIMEE), Jamalpur.
Remarkably, Lohani holds four engineering degrees — in Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgical, and Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering — making him one of the few individuals in India to achieve such a distinction. He is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India). His technical grounding laid the foundation for a career that combined engineering precision with administrative acumen.

Career in the Indian Railways

Lohani began his professional journey in the Indian Railways, where he held several key posts across operational and managerial domains. Early in his career, he served as Chief Mechanical Engineer in Northern Railway and later as Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Delhi Division. His leadership was marked by a focus on improving efficiency, passenger amenities, and staff morale.
He also served as Director of the National Rail Museum (New Delhi), where he was instrumental in modernising exhibits, restoring heritage locomotives, and popularising India’s railway heritage among the public. Under his stewardship, the museum introduced several outreach programmes that increased public engagement with railway history.
In 2017, Lohani was appointed Chairman of the Railway Board, the apex body of the Indian Railways. His tenure was characterised by efforts to improve safety protocols, enhance maintenance practices, and promote technological modernisation. He also worked towards improving the image of the railways by emphasising punctuality, cleanliness, and customer service.

Role in Tourism and Aviation

Beyond the railways, Ashwani Lohani has made substantial contributions to India’s tourism and aviation sectors. He served as Managing Director of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC), where he transformed the state’s tourism profile through aggressive promotion, infrastructure upgrades, and community involvement.
He later led the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) as its Chairman and Managing Director, where he successfully revitalised several tourism-related ventures, hotels, and heritage properties. His work in both institutions earned him recognition as a visionary in tourism management.
In 2015, Lohani took over as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India, India’s national carrier. He inherited the airline at a time of severe financial distress and declining morale. His pragmatic leadership style focused on operational efficiency, employee motivation, and customer service reforms. Lohani’s tenure was widely regarded as a stabilising period for the airline.
He returned to Air India for a second term in 2019, continuing his focus on organisational discipline and service reliability.

Later Career and Leadership at GMR Group

After retiring from government service, Lohani joined the GMR Group in 2020 as Chief Executive Officer, where he applied his expertise in transport infrastructure and operational management. Under his leadership, GMR expanded its airport operations and strengthened its logistics and mobility portfolio.
In 2025, he was appointed Director of the Prime Ministers’ Museum & Library Society (PMML) in New Delhi, an institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the legacies of India’s prime ministers. His appointment reflected confidence in his ability to lead complex organisations with cultural and historical significance.

Leadership Style and Achievements

Ashwani Lohani’s career is characterised by a combination of engineering discipline, people-centric leadership, and organisational reform. He is widely admired for his ability to lead turnaround initiatives in large public enterprises by fostering teamwork, accountability, and innovation.
Key aspects of his leadership include:

• Operational Excellence: Focused on streamlining systems, improving safety, and ensuring efficiency in transport operations.
• Heritage Promotion: Advocated for the preservation of India’s railway heritage, including restoration of steam engines and creation of heritage circuits.
• Public Image Transformation: Emphasised transparency, communication, and staff motivation to enhance the public perception of government enterprises.
• Cross-Sector Competence: Successfully transitioned between railways, tourism, and aviation, demonstrating adaptability and strategic foresight.

His unique combination of technical and administrative skills earned him the reputation of a “turnaround specialist” capable of steering struggling institutions toward stability and growth.

Recognition and Records

Ashwani Lohani’s professional achievements have been recognised nationally and internationally. He is featured in the Limca Book of Records for holding four engineering degrees and has received several honours for his contributions to public administration and heritage preservation.
He has been frequently described as the “turnaround man” of India’s public enterprises due to his success in revitalising multiple government organisations.

Legacy and Significance

Ashwani Lohani’s career embodies the successful integration of engineering expertise and administrative leadership in public service. His work across railways, tourism, aviation, and heritage institutions demonstrates a rare versatility and commitment to public welfare.
By transforming government organisations through discipline, innovation, and human-centric leadership, he has set a benchmark for future administrators in India. His tenure in multiple sectors underscores the value of professional integrity and technical competence in governance.