Why high CAGE distance doesn't mean don't enter a market

The Air India Charter UAE expansion case taught me something that textbooks don't capture: sometimes the numbers tell a different story than the frameworks.

CAGE analysis suggested the distance between India and UAE was manageable — cultural ties, geographic proximity, administrative similarities. But the financials told a more nuanced story.

The key insight: frameworks are starting points, not conclusions. Real strategic decisions need frameworks plus financial reality plus execution capability.