RETURNING TO THE TATAS

THE FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AIR INDIA AND AUTHOR OF THE DESCENT OF AIR INDIA LOOKS BACK AT AIR INDIA’S MANAGEMENT POST-1978, AND DISCUSSES WHY THE TATA TAKEOVER IS A WIN-WIN FOR ALL

- Jitender Bhargava

WITH AIR INDIA, JRD TATA HAD given Indian civil aviation a headstart way back in 1932. Operating its maiden international flight in 1948, the airline only grew until 1978, when JRD Tata was unceremoniously removed. Air India was the dominant airline in that era when airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Qatar, Singapore Airlines, and so on that dominate the Indian skies today did not even exist. The airline was run with a high standard across parameters. Because of JRD Tata’s vision and his passion, Air India was symbolic of India overseas. Whether it was the booking offices, the aircraft, or the finer details, everything represented India. There was an air about Air India.

This strategy was rooted in reason. At that time, Air India was competing with mega carriers of that era like Pan Am, TWA, BOAC, Qantas. If Air India had to compete globally as a relatively small carrier, it had to be unique and innovative. This innovativeness came in Air India’s advertising — the hoardings and all messages symbolised class.

The Experimentation Phase

The period from 1953 to 1978 was proof that even as a government entity, Air India could deliver. The hindrance was not government ownership but the degradation of the political culture in subsequent years. After JRD Tata was removed, no heed was paid to the winning formula his leadership had set. This could be seen in the extremely short tenures of the chairmen, for example. The government, in its wisdom, experimented on all fronts.