Personal
Gopinath was born in the village of Gorur, Karnataka. He was educated in a a Kannada-medium school until Class V, then at Sainik School, Bijapur, followed by the National Defence Academy in Khadakvasla, Pune. After school he took a commission in the Indian Army, earning the rank of Captain. He spent eight years in the army and fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Upon retirement from the armed forces, he established an ecologically sustainable sericulture farm; his innovative methods earned him the Rolex Laureate Award in 1996. Next, he started the Malnad Mobikes (Enfield dealership) and opened a hotel in Hasan. In 1997 he co-founded Deccan Aviation, a charter helicopter service. In 2003 Gopinath founded Air Deccan, a low cost airline; Air Deccan merged with Kingfisher Airlines in 2007. In 2009 he founded Deccan 360, a freight flight business.
In May 2006 he was knighted with “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” the highest civilian award conferred by the French Government. He has received many awards for Air Deccan.
In 2009 Gopinath stood unsuccessfully as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha elections.
Read more about this topic: G. R. Gopinath
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