Adani Airport CEO's ‘No Middlemen’ Comment Sends Dreamfolks Stock Sliding: Here Is Why

India’s digital growth is changing both how people live and how the economy moves forward, with financial technology leading the way. Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airports Holding Ltd (AAHL), has praised the rise of platforms like UPI for redefining everyday transactions and positioning India as a global leader in digital advancement.

“India is at the global forefront of digital innovation. UPI has transformed the lives of a billion Indians,” Bansal said, adding that it has “revolutionized how we transact every day and accelerated our journey toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy.”

Drawing parallels with global disruptors such as Airbnb and Uber, he stated India’s fintech wave has similarly eliminated the need for intermediaries in key sectors.

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Direct Lounge Access for Flyers

Taking a cue from this shift, Adani Airports revealed that it is now bringing that same digital-first approach to the passenger experience.The Gautam Adani-led firm has introduced a platform that allows travellers to access airport lounges directly—without relying on aggregators or third-party apps.

The service, developed by AAHL’s in-house Digital Lab team, is being rolled out in collaboration with lounge operators across the country.

“This means no middlemen—just a seamless, world-class experience delivered directly to the consumer,” Bansal said, positioning the move as part of a broader effort to modernize the airport ecosystem through technology.

He went on to add, “In today’s tech-driven world, only those companies that can disrupt themselves will survive. The rest will disappear,” he said.

DreamFolks' share crash

Meanwhile, shares of DreamFolks Services Ltd, India’s largest airport lounge access aggregator, have dropped nearly 9% over the past two trading sessions, following the LinkedIn post by Adani Airports CEO. His comment came just a day after DreamFolks CEO and Chairperson Liberatha Peter Kallat alleged that two airport operators had been urging the company’s clients to move their business elsewhere.