New Delhi, Aug. 28 -- The flight from Mumbai to Bangkok was not what I expected. For one, it was an IndiGo flight-technically an international leg, but it felt like a Mumbai-to-Delhi hop. Same cabin crew uniforms, same boarding announcements, same scramble for overhead cabinet space. For another, the cabin was overwhelmingly Indian-and I don't mean 'slightly more.' The ratio was highly skewed.

Most of my fellow passengers were clearly salesmen-first-time-abroad enthusiasm radiating from every seat. The signs were unmistakable: company-logo backpacks, reels playing at full volume because "who needs Bluetooth," and the call-button for the cabin crew being pressed with the confidence of someone ordering room service. Laughter erupted in gen...