Lohani also did two stints in Madhya Pradesh, heading the state’s Tourism Development Corporation, ensuring several tourism awards for the state. Lohani’s friends say he often talked about turning around AI if given a chance. In fact, he had written in a blog post in 2009: “Having headed a large hospitality sector, CPSU, in the past, and now a state PSU successfully, I have acquired a fair amount of insight into the successful running of PSUs.... If given a chance, of course, a year is all it would take for a turnaround even for a mammoth organisation like AI.” His friends wonder if Prime Minister Narendra Modi handpicked him for the job to see if he could deliver on his claim.