Air India, the erstwhile national carrier, found its way back home to the Tata Group today under Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran’s watch.
A recent Padma Bhushan awardee, Chandrasekaran expressed his happiness at the acquisition and reminisced about his first flight decades ago on an Air India plane in a LinkedIn post.
“Like for many of us, my first flight was on Air India, in December 1986. I was a young intern then, at Tata Consultancy Services. I vividly recall, even after all this time, how I felt that day. There was a feeling of excitement, that it was a special experience. There was also a strong sense of belongingness,” Chandrasekaran’s post read.
He also added that it was a “historic day” for everyone at the Tata Group as he welcomed Air India back to the conglomerate after 69 years.
“…We are excited, and we are committed to making this a world-class airline. The Tata Group looks forward to working with Air India and taking our National Airline to new heights in the future,” the Tata Sons Chairman said.
In a message to Air India employees, Chandrasekaran said the acquisition was like a “homecoming”.
"From the day of the announcement, one word has been on everyone's lips: homecoming. We are proud to welcome Air India back to the Tata family, after all these years."
The Tata Group reinsured its role in the aviation sector by acquiring loss-making Air India from the government under Chandrasekaran’s leadership. He had joined as an intern at Tata Consultancy Services in 1986.