New Delhi: Ratan Tata, the 83-year-old patriarch chairman emeritus of the Tata group who had unsuccessfully attempted to buy Air India in the late 90s before its tragic amalgamation with Indian Airlines in 2007, has credited the decision to bid for India’s flagship carrier Air India to group chairman N Chandrasekaran.

In an email response to queries from ET, Ratan Tata said: “The decision reached by Tata Sons was totally based on the study undertaken and concluded by those under the leadership of group chairman N Chandrasekaran.”

Tata Sons—the holding company of India’s largest conglomerate—is believed to have also sought the counsel of Ratan Tata in putting a successful bid for the airline. Further, Air India is one of the biggest acquisitions under the stewardship of the current management in India.

Last week, the Mumbai-based coffee-to-cars conglomerate regained control of Air India, the airline it founded nearly 90 years back, as the Centre accepted its winning bid of Rs 18,000 crore to acquire 100 per cent of the ailing state-run airline.

The octogenarian patriarch of the Tata group is a trained pilot and holds a licence. In 2007, he was the first civilian to fly F-16 during the Aero India Show in Bengaluru. He is believed to closely monitor key international trends in the aviation sector.

The financial daily quoted him as saying, “It is true that I have a passion for aviation and have enjoyed my time as a type-rated pilot on a variety of aircraft. I have not, however, had an involvement in the decision to bid for Air India other than a positive emotional feeling that we could endeavour to help re-establish Air India to the level of prominence it had in days gone by.”

Minutes after winning bid for Air India was announced, Tata tweeted an old photograph of the company’s former chairman JRD Tata standing on a tarmac in front of an Air India plane. He wrote, “… … On an emotional note, Air India, under the leadership of Mr JRD Tata had at one time gained the reputation of being one of the most prestigious airlines in the world. Mr JRD Tata would have been overjoyed if he was in our midst today.” In 1932, JRD Tata, the pioneer of the Indian aviation industry, had launched Tata Airlines, and the government nationalised the airline in 1953.

The publication cited Raghu Vishwanath MD, Vertebrand Management Consulting, as saying that Air India has a massive emotional connect with consumers, and the litmus test before the current leadership team is to ensure a huge improvement in user experience to bolster the brand. 

“The previous management of Air India had an indifferent and uncaring response to consumers. Tatas should work upon these interpersonal skills of aircraft personnel. Consumers should be able to view the brand in a new light in the hands if Tatas,” the daily quoted him as saying.