Air India Chairman: In 2016, Chandrasekaran was also a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s board of directors. In 2015-16, he was also the chairperson of the Information and Communication Technology Industry Governors at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Digital Desk: Chairman of Tata Sons, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, has been appointed as the chairman of Air India, Tata Sons spokesperson said on Monday (March 14). Reportedly, Air India’s board of directors approved the appointment.
Notably, the news comes just days after former Turkish Airlines CEO Mehmet Ilker Ayci declined the Tata Group’s offer to become CEO and Managing Director of Air India, citing some sections of the Indian media attempting to ‘colour’ his appointment in an unfavourable way, reports said.
Tata Sons announced Ayci’s appointment as CEO and MD of Air India on February 14.
Last month, in a virtual address to Air India employees, Chandrasekaran stated that Tata Group would make Air India financially sound, upgrade aircraft, bring in a new fleet, and make it the most technologically advanced airline globally.
In October of last year, the Tata Group purchased the debt-ridden state-owned airline Air India from the Central Government. Tata’s won the bid for Air India in a competitive bidding process for Rs 18,000 crore, including the Rs 2,700 crore cash component. On January 27, it took complete control of the airline.
JRD Tata, the Tata group founder, founded the Tata Group in 1932 as the country’s first carrier. It was nationalized in 1953.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran joined Tata Sons’ Board in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017. According to the TCS website, Chandrasekaran also chairs the boards of several group operating companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), of which he was Chief Executive Officer from 2009 to 2017.
His appointment as chairman came after a 30-year business career at TCS, which he joined after graduating from university. He rose through the ranks of TCS to become the company’s CEO and Managing Director. Moreover, Chandrasekaran became the Tata Group’s first non-Parsi and professional executive.
Reportedly, TCS generated total revenues of US $16.5 billion in 2015-16 under his leadership, consolidating its position as India’s largest private-sector employer and the country’s most valuable company.
In 2016, Chandrasekaran was also a member of the Reserve Bank of India’s board of directors. In 2015-16, he was also the chairperson of the Information and Communication Technology Industry Governors at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
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