The other side always seems smarter

PRADEEP KHAROLA'S APPOINTMENT as executive adviser to Air India’s chairman has produced one of those moments that students of public policy can savour.

- RISHI RAJ

For decades, economists, reformers, and management experts maintained that Air India’s troubles stemmed from government ownership. The solution, according to them, was privatisation. After years of debate and abandoned plans, the airline was finally returned to the Tata Group in 2022. Four years later, as Air India navigates a challenging phase, it has turned to a former civil aviation secretary and former Air India chief for help. One is tempted to conclude that the wheel has not merely turned. It may have completed a full rotation.

This is not about Kharola. Nor is there anything unusual about companies hiring former bureaucrats, regulators, or policymakers. Every major industry does it. What makes the episode interesting is the symmetry. Public policy debates often proceed on the assumption that solutions lie in ownership structures. If a government enterprise struggles, privatise it. If a private company stumbles, regulate it more aggressively. If performance disappoints, redraw the organisational chart. Yet organisations have a curious habit of seeking help from precisely the systems they are supposed to have left behind. Theories may favour neat distinctions between public and private. The real world appears considerably less ideological.