Air India

Air India's roots trace to 1932 when Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata — the legendary Indian industrialist and founder of the Tata Group — established Tata Airlines as India's first commercial carrier, operating the first airmail service between Karachi and Bombay. J.R.D. Tata himself piloted the inaugural flight on October 15, 1932 — a date now celebrated as Civil Aviation Day in India. Tata Airlines grew through the 1930s and 1940s, becoming one of Asia's most respected carriers.

In 1946, Tata Airlines became a public company and was renamed Air India. Following India's independence from British rule in 1947, the government nationalized Air India in 1953 under the Air Corporations Act — stripping the Tata family of the airline they had built. For the next 69 years, Air India operated as a state enterprise, declining progressively from its original glory. The airline was once the pride of Indian aviation — operating iconic routes, flying head-of-state missions, and serving as India's international calling card.

But decades of political interference, over-staffing, corruption, poor management, and financial mismanagement gradually destroyed its competitive position. Multiple privatization attempts failed before the January 27, 2022 completion of Tata Sons' acquisition of Air India from the Government of India for ₹18,000 crore. The return of Air India to Tata hands after 69 years was emotionally powerful for India — a homecoming as much as a business transaction. Tata immediately began the transformation: merging with Vistara (completed November 2024, giving Singapore Airlines a 25.1% stake in the enlarged Air India), launching the largest aircraft order in Indian aviation history (470 aircraft), and appointing Campbell Wilson — former CEO of Singapore Airlines' Scoot — to lead the transformation.