'Welcome Back': Tata Sons Chairman Writes to Air India Employees After Takeover

The Tata Group officially took the reins of the airlines after the divestment process was completed on 27 January.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekharan (right) met with senior government officials in New Delhi on Thursday, 27 January.

(Photo: Twitter/Air India)

"Welcome. Welcome back," wrote Tata Sons chairman, N Chandrasekharan, in a letter addressed to Air India employees on Thursday, 27 January, after the official takeover of the airlines by the Tata Group.

The letter to the 'Air India family' said: "From the day of the announcement, one word has been on everyone's lips: homecoming."

"We are proud to welcome Air India back into the Tata family, after all these years."

N Chandrasekharan, Chairman, Tata Sons

The Tata Group officially took the reins of the airlines after the divestment process was completed on Thursday. After the takeover, Chandrasekaran said, "We're totally delighted that this process is complete and happy to have Air India back in the Tata Group. We look forward to working with everyone to create a world-class airline."

He also expressed gratitude to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman; as per the company, he "thanked her for the successful closure of the Air India transaction."

Calling the takeover "the beginning of a new chapter," Chandrasekharan said in the letter that the company would focus on the future to "build the airline our country needs."

He added that the company intended to embrace the future to honour the "glorious history" of the airline.

"Our Group has its own varied past. I have learned that to preserve what is best about the past, requires constant change. It is by evolving, adapting and embracing the future that we best honour a glorious history."

N Chandrasekharan, Chairman, Tata Sons

On 8 October 2021, the Talace Private Ltd – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons – emerged as the winning bidder for Air India at a bid of Rs 18,000 crore. This comes after four years of efforts by the government to find a buyer for its beleaguered national carrier and its subsidiaries.