JOIN USRound trip complete: Air India returns to Tatas
Ninety two years ago in February 1929, JRD Tata became the first Indian to get a commercial pilot licence, and three years later, he flew the first Tata flight on 15 October, 1932 -- an airmail service from Karachi to Mumbai.
Life has now come full circle for Air India, which was started by the Tatas, as it returns to the Tata fold after the government announced it as the winner of the privatisation bidding.
The seeds of Tata's foray into aviation were sown when JRD flew with a friend in France at just 15 years old. In 1932, Tata Air Services was launched with JRD himself flying the first service, and it was soon renamed as Tata Airlines. Fourteen years later in 1946, Tata Sons' aviation division was renamed as Air India.
The then-Chairman of Tata Sons, Sir Dorab Tata, was not enthusiastic about the aviation plans but was persuaded by JRD's mentor and colleague John Peterson to give his approval. Thus started the flight to excellence with a small investment of Rs 2 lakh.
"On an exciting October dawn in 1932, a Puss Moth and I soared joyfully from Karachi with our first previous load of mail, on an inaugural flight to Bombay. As we hummed towards our destination at a 'dazzling' hundred miles an hour, I breathed a silent prayer for the success of our venture and for the safety of those who worked for it. We were a small team in those days," JRD was quoted as saying.
In the first year itself, the Tatas flew 2.6 lakh kilometres, carrying 155 passengers and 9.72 tonnes of air mail, and clocked a profit of Rs 60,000.
The 1933-34 annual report of the Directorate of Civil Aviation praised the efficiency of Tata Airlines for completing a year's work with 100% punctuality. "Even during the most difficult monsoon months when rainstorms increased the perils of the Western Ghat portion of the route no mail from Madras or Bombay missed connection at Karachi nor was the mail delivered late on a single occasion at Madras... our esteemed Trans-Continental Airways, alias Imperial Airways, might send their staff on deputation to Tatas to see how it is done," the report had said.
In 1946, Tata Airlines went public and became a joint stock company with a new name Air India. The Air India International - the country's first public-private-partnership company with the government owing 49% equity, Tatas 25% and public the rest - was launched in 1948.
However, the airline was nationalised by the Jawaharlal Nehru government in 1953, while JRD Tata remained the Chairman. His relationship with the national carrier continued till he was removed by the Janata Party government after the Emergency.
With the skies opened up for private players, the AB Vajpayee government tried to sell a minority stake or 40% stake in Air India. Tatas teamed up with Singapore Airlines and showed interest in Air India but the government aborted its attempts following opposition from trade unions.
The UPA government did not move to privatise Air India while domestic carrier Indian Airlines was merged with Air India in 2007-08 even as losses mounted. The latest round of privatisation moves started in 2017 under the Narendra Modi government.
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