V.J. Kurian

VJ.Kurian, a 1983 batch IAS officer, is known for his instrumental role in building the India’s first airport under public-private partnership mode and making the project a commendable success both financially and socially. His path-breaking idea of bringing the future beneficiaries of the project, i.e., non-resident Indians, airlines, common public, businessmen, banks and fuelling agencies, to a common platform wherein the government machinery could act as a facilitator not only built a world class airport at Kochi, but also triggered many large developmental projects in both aviation and non aviation sectors. Mr. Kurian also pioneered the idea of a power neutral airport, which uses only green energy, received global attention when Cochin International Airport became the first airport in the world fully operated on solar energy. He received the Champions of the Earth Award, the United Nations’ highest environmental honour in 2018 for implementing this idea successfully.