New Delhi/Mumbai: Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has been appointed as Air India Chairman, a group spokesperson said. The development comes as the Tata Group scouts for a new Air India CEO-MD. The appointment of N Chandrasekaran has been finalised by the board Monday.
Earlier this month, ex-Turkish Airlines head Mehmet Ilker Ayci was named as the new Air India CEO-MD. However, he declined the position. No reason was given for Ayci’s decision.
Last month, the Tata Group-led Air India announced the appointment of Ayci as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the airline. At that time, Ayci while accepting the position said he is ‘delighted and honoured to accept the privilege of leading an iconic airline and to join the Tata Group’. He was expected to take the charge on or before April 1.
Also read: Tata Sons appoints Ilker Ayci CEO & MD of Air India
Ayci, 51, until recently was the Chairman of Turkish Airlines. He was also on its Board of Directors prior to that.
Recently, the Tata Group bought the debt ridden state-owned Air India from the Central government by placing a bid of over Rs 18,000 crore at an auction and on January 27, it took over the full control of the airlines.
Tata group had previously announced Turkey’s Ilker Ayci as the chief executive of Air India, but that appointment was met with a lot of opposition in India.
Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company and promoter of more than 100 Tata operating companies. He joined the Board of Tata Sons in October 2016 and was appointed Chairman in January 2017.
He 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 2009-17.
It should also be stated here that Chandrasekaran became the first non-Parsi and professional executive to head the Tata Group.
