Gaurav Taneja
Born 1986 · Age 39
Indian commercial pilot turned YouTuber, fitness influencer and entrepreneur (aka Flying Beast). Known for channels FitMuscle TV and Flying Beast; founder/co-founder of BeastLife and Rozier/Rosier Foods; former IndiGo and AirAsia captain.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Gaurav Taneja born in Kanpur to Yogendra Kumar Taneja (bank officer) and Bharti Taneja (teacher).
Completed intermediate schooling (PCM stream)
Completed intermediate schooling and chose PCM; aspired to be a pilot but family finances initially prevented pilot training.
Enrolled at BITS Pilani, Dubai (briefly)
Enrolled at BITS Pilani, Dubai to study engineering but left because he wanted to attend an IIT.
Cleared JEE (rank 184) and joined IIT Kharagpur
Secured JEE rank 184 in first attempt and enrolled in IIT Kharagpur to study civil engineering.
Graduated B.Tech (Civil) from IIT Kharagpur
Completed engineering degree; in final year considered MBA but did not pursue it.
Trained as pilot in United States; converted license in India
Went to the US for pilot training, returned in 2009 and converted foreign private pilot license to Indian certificate.
Joined Alpha Aviation Group as flight instructor
Unable to find airline work during global recession, he worked as a flight instructor leveraging his instructor license.
Hired by IndiGo; assigned to Bengaluru
Secured a pilot role with IndiGo (first major airline posting) and returned to regular fitness routine.
Decided to compete in bodybuilding
Visited Delhi to watch a bodybuilding competition and resolved to take part in competitions professionally.
Won gold in first bodybuilding competition
Earned a gold medal in his first-ever bodybuilding contest (September 2013).
Promoted to Captain at IndiGo
Promoted to airline captain while working with IndiGo; later posted to Chennai as captain (date unspecified).
Earned fitness & nutrition certifications
Completed certifications as a personal trainer and nutritionist while continuing airline work and competitions.
Met future spouse Ritu Rathee during airline training
Became friends with Ritu Rathee (also a pilot) at a quarterly airline training session; relationship later led to marriage.
Launched FitMuscle TV YouTube channel
Started posting fitness and bodybuilding content on FitMuscle TV (first major online channel).
Married Ritu Rathee
Married fellow pilot and content collaborator Ritu Rathee on 5 February 2016.
Launched Flying Beast vlogging channel
Started Flying Beast (vlogs about daily life, travel, fitness and aviation) on 1 December 2017; channel quickly grew in popularity.
Birth of daughter (Kaira / Rashi)
Gaurav and Ritu welcomed a daughter on 18 May 2018 (referred to as Kaira in some sources; also called Rashi/Rasbhari in social media).
Reported meeting with Barack Obama (media claim)
Some profiles list having met former US President Barack Obama in 2019 (sourced to popular bios); limited independent verification.
Joined AirAsia India as captain (based in New Delhi)
Moved from IndiGo to AirAsia India in May 2019 and served as captain based in New Delhi.
Transitioned toward full-time content creation
Following disputes/suspension at AirAsia, he increasingly focused on YouTube, brand deals and entrepreneurial ventures.
Suspended by AirAsia after raising safety concerns (reported)
Reported suspension by AirAsia India after publicly raising alleged violations of safety SOPs (date reported as June 14; year inferred from source timeline). DGCA confirmed investigation into the airline after allegations.
Launched Rasbhari Ke Papa live-stream channel
Started a live-streaming channel (Rasbhari Ke Papa) on 8 July 2020 for interactive livestreams with fans.
Decided to study law (began preparation)
Announced on 17 October 2020 that he would study law and prepare to become a lawyer to contribute to society.
Founded/registered AeroBlogger Aviation Services (reported)
Profiles and write-ups credit him with founding 'AeroBlogger Aviation Services Pvt Ltd' providing aviation consultancy (year approximate from profiles).
Walked at New York Fashion Week (with wife)
Featured walking the runway at NYFW 2022 alongside his wife Ritu — reported as a notable mainstream-media appearance.
YouTube Play Button milestones (Silver & Gold)
Earned YouTube Silver (100k) and Gold (1M) Creator Awards across his channels by this period as his channels scaled.
TV debut on StarPlus (Smart Jodi)
Gaurav and his wife debuted on national television on the show Smart Jodi which began airing on 26 February 2022.
Aasman Mein Bharat: mapped 350 km outline of India by flight path
Undertook 'Aasman Mein Bharat' initiative that plotted a 350 km-long outline of India in the sky using a flight path (media-cited achievement).
Co-founded Rozier / Rosier Foods (ghee brand) — reported
Listed as co-founder of Rosier/Rozier Foods, a ghee brand sourcing from Gir cows and traditional farming methods (date approximate).
Founded BeastLife (nutraceutical / protein brand) — reported
Launched BeastLife (protein powder, nutraceuticals). Company became a key entrepreneurial vehicle and marketing focus.
Pitched BeastLife on Shark Tank India S4; asked Rs 1 crore for 1%
Appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4 to pitch BeastLife; valuation implied Rs 100 crore (asked Rs 1 crore for 1%); no Sharks finalized a deal on air.
Rozier Foods secures rural Rajasthan distribution contract
Rozier/Rosier Foods reportedly landed a contract to distribute ghee in rural areas of Rajasthan following national TV exposure.
YouTube & social follower milestones (reported)
Profiles (Jan–Mar 2025) report Flying Beast channel having ~7.7 million subscribers and Instagram ~3.1 million followers (figures vary by source/date).
Estimated net worth reported at ~₹37 crores (~$5M)
Multiple recent profiles (Jan–Mar 2025) estimate Gaurav Taneja's net worth at around ₹37 crores (≈ USD 5 million) from YouTube, brand deals, ventures and merchandise.
Ongoing brand collaborations, merchandise and media features
Continuing brand endorsements, merchandise sales and media appearances (MensXP cover, magazine features, and mainstream interviews).
Key Achievement Ages
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