I know many who have taken this route that the others recommend.This is obviously a safer route.It also gives you more time to think this through.But it has its own limitations that you must be aware of.
1) It will take a long long time for you to make enough money to sponsor yourself -unless your starting salary is very high.Do the math.Find out the starting salary of an Engineer or an Accountant.Being very optimistic, give yourself a 10 percent pay rise every year. Now calculate how long it will take you to raise that money.The devil is in details.
2) Careers don't grow on trees either.Any career requires a hell of a lot of effort.Engineering or Accountancy will take a lot of effort.Building that career over long years and then letting it go will be a very hard decision.You will have to start from scratch again.You will be much older by then and it will be a further wait until you return to the same level of financial stability and
POSITION that you had in your previous career.If you have a family of your own by then, you will have to include them in your decision.They may not agree with you.A friend of mine took years to convince his wife to change his career.
<3
3) When you make a mistake while you are still young, you have a lot of time to recover from those mistakes.Its not the same when you are so much older.
4) One good thing that could happen if you choose the above option is that you might get interested in another career and forget all about aviation.Like I said a degree won't harm you.It will give you a couple of more years to think this through and also provide you with a back up.
5) I highlighted the word position above as I think this is even more important in aviation than anywhere else.The opportunities you get in an airline will depend on your :
a) Seniority in the company ( like how long you have been working with them) b) Your experience ( even the type of aircraft you fly - turbo prop,Jet, piston etc. MATTERS ! ) and unfortunately
c) Your influence ( this depends on your
PR skills also)
The type of aircraft you fly matters because your pay is linked to it.For eg:Maybe I love to fly a Cessna but I won't because my pay would be much lesser if I did that. Also you will want to grow and eventually fly bigger,better and different aircraft and even earn more money.If you wait till you can sponsor yourself, you will wait a long time.
Another option is the Airforce of course.
I must also tell you that I am not so pessimistic as some of the others here, regarding the future of Indian aviation.
Speak and inform your Dad regarding the above issues and take his opinion.