The travel guru

When he was 15, as a reward for doing well in his Class X board exams, Deep Kalra’s parents allowed him to join a group of friends from St Columba’s School to tour Europe. “There were some of us there who went because we had done well in the exams, and others who were there simply because they had passed,” he laughs.

Almost 25 years later, sitting over a Chinese lunch of sticky rice at The Monk in Gurgaon, Kalra recalls the incident as he talks of his passion for seeing the world. Incidentally, he is just back from a trip to Europe, a two-week trip that he says is the “longest break” he has had in years.

You would expect the CEO of an online travel agency to travel, wouldn’t you? Kalra says the initial years at MakeMyTrip were a lot of hard work and left him with very little time for a holiday. “I guess that is the way it is with entrepreneurship. But no matter how bad things were, I always ensured an yearly break with my family.

” In fact, it was one such holiday that actually got him thinking of setting up an online travel agency. “It was 1999, and Amrita (Kalra’s wife) was expecting our first child. We were planning a holiday to Phuket but my travel agent could not find me a resort,” he says. Kalra, decided to search for a resort online. “I found a place and got a fantastic price, much better than any travel agent would give me. I was well and truly bitten by the Internet.”

Inside Track Born: 1970, Delhi Family: Amrita (wife), daughter Manya (8) and son Armaan (6) Educated: St Columba’s School, Delhi, St Stephen’s College, IIM Ahmedabad First Job: ABN Amro Bank (1992 ) First Salary: Rs 6,500 per month Music: Slow rock, Hindi oldies, jazz Film: Casablanca, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron Hobbies: Swimming, Yoga, Travelling Food: Thai & South Indian Drink: White Beer, especially Hoegaarden Best Advice: Don’t do anything that won’t let you sleep easy

He does love to travel, doesn’t he? “Oh, yes. Just recently we took a cruise on the Mediterranean for a week. The kids had a blast on the cruise. If I took a cruise again, I might do the Alaska route,” he says.

When he is not travelling, Kalra is a family man. “My days at work are rather long and I like spending time with my kids after that,” he says. While building his new house, Kalra built a “special room” for himself. “Not quite a den, not quite an office, just my room,” he says. His other major passion is food and he is an Indian fast-food junkie.

{mosimage} He loves Thai food a lot and rues the fact that Oberoi in Delhi shut down Baan Thai. And, yes, he digs South Indian cuisine as well, from the idli and dosa to those exotic Malabar curries. Kalra enjoys his beer, too, and given a chance, will settle for Hoegaarden on a sultry summer evening. “I don’t drink that much, though,” he adds with a smile.

He is not much of a party animal, though he does love meeting up with old friends over dinner or a few drinks. Other than that, his idea of relaxation is to spend time playing with his kids.

Deep’s Day Out 6.30 A.M. Wake up 7-8 A.M. Regular yoga session 8 A.M.-9 P.M. Chat with family over breakfast 9.30 P.M. Reach office Till 8.30 P.M. Usually at work 9 P.M. Home to spend time with the kids before eating and hitting the sack.

So, what plans does he have for the future? “I know this might sound clichéd but I do want to give back to society. I would like to split my time between making money and doing something good in return. I don’t know what, but I guess I will figure something out,” he concludes.