AIR INDIA

Air India, the flag carrier airline of India, is now owned by the Tata Group. Tata Sons, the Tata Group's holding firm, acquired Air India through its special-purpose vehicle Talace Private Ltd, from the airline's former owner, the Government of India.

The airline was founded by J R D Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932. After World War II, it became a public limited company and was renamed as Air India.

In 2001, attempts were made to privatise Air India and from 2006 onwards, it suffered losses after its merger with Indian Airlines. Another privatisation attempt was launched in 2017, which concluded with ownership of the airline and associated properties reverting to Tata in 2022.

Having failed on previous occasions to sell the airline, the government decided to sell 100% share of the airline and started its preparation in late-2019. On 27 January 2020, the government invited bidders. This time the government decided to sell 100% shares of both Air India and its budget carrier Air India Express.

In September 2021, the government issued fresh tenders for selling the airlines, where Tata Sons and one more player shown interest in the bid. Finally, on 8 October 2021, Air India, along with its low-cost carrier Air India Express and fifty percent of AISATS, a ground handling company, were sold for Rs 18,000 crore (USD 2.4 billion) to Talace. On 27 January 2022, the airline was officially handed over to Tata Group.

Air India also operates flights to domestic and Asian destinations through its subsidiary Air India Express. Air India's mascot is the Maharajah (Emperor) and the logo consists of a flying swan with the wheel of Konark inside it.

Air India operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving over 100 domestic and international destinations. The airline has its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, alongside several focus cities across India.

In March 2022, after the re-privatisation process was over, N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, was appointed as the chairman of the airline.

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