“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
— Billy Graham
The origins of Indian national air carrier predates the birth of independent India. In 1929, JRD Tata, a young business tycoon and the first Indian aviator created the Tata Air Services to obtain contractual rights to transport mail from Imperial Airways. Subsequently, October 15, 1932 was engraved in the history as the date on which the first commercial airline was flown. Carrying mail, the initial leg of the journey was from Karachi to Bombay (Mumbai), piloted by Tata himself.
In 1938, Tata Air Services re-christened itself as Tata Airlines. It continued to grow, launching its first domestic flight from Bombay to Trivandrum, adding Colombo and Delhi as destinations. When World War II knocked on the doors, the normal operations of the airline were temporarily discontinued to divert the troops and supplies to wartime efforts.
The independence of India ushered a new chapter in the privately-owned enterprise. It incorporated itself as a public company under the name of ‘Air India’ in July, 194, a step in a larger scheme presented by JRD Tata to commence international flights. The proposal involved acquisition of 49% stake of the company by the Government of India, 26% by public and 25% to be retained by Tata, with a provision for the Government to obtain majority stake from the Tata’s holding .
On June 8, 1948, the Malabar Princess marked the first international flight, taking off from Bombay to London Heathrow via Cairo and Geneva, carrying aboard 35 passengers. Meanwhile, the civil aviation sector grew rapidly in India, with nearly four main airlines operating and several other short-lived services plummeting.
With the Government’s decision to nationalize all the private airlines in 1953, JRD’s hope for a proper public-private partnership with Air India shattered. Under the new regime, several private airlines such as Deccan Airways, Airways India, Air India, Himalayan Airways etc. were merged to form two entities- Air India International, which would fly international routes and Indian Airlines Corporation, which would operate domestic routes. Yet, Tata continued to grace the fledgling airline as its chairman.
Year on year, Air India continued to add new destinations and make its mark on the aviation maps. However, it had a tough path ahead. There were multiple other airlines such as Trans World Airline, Air France etc. which were big-shots on their own terms, while Air India was still a small airline. To compete against their might, Bobby Kooka, the Commercial Director of Air India envisioned the iconic Maharaja to match India’s image as the ‘Land of Maharajas’. With his luxuriant, curling moustache, aquiline nose and quintessentially Indian turban, the rotund and regal figure became Air India’s mascot for its advertising and marketing campaigns.
In fact, under the steerage of JRD Tata, travelling by air was a glamorous, special occasion. People arrived in style, dressed to nines, in Chantilly lace saris and double breasted suits. First timers came with flower garlands and auspicious coconuts for a safe crossing, as photographs were clicked to capture and commemorate the moment. Flying was luxurious, with the best of hors d’oeuvres and alcohol cascading from silver carafes. Travelling in Air India was not just about the destination, it was unequivocally about the flight. The passengers were treated like royalty, always welcomed and wanted. Air India was synonymous to the ‘magic red carpet’ image that characterized the mystical India. No stones were left unturned as the advertisement campaigns, resplendent with subtle, tongue-in-cheek humor and unmatched panache enticed air travelers across the world. Thus, it is no surprised that JRD Tata’s eyes for microscopic details and par excellence service propelled Air India to be renowned globally as one the world’s finest airlines.
However, a journey, however rosy-hued it may be, has to come an end. JRD Tata was unceremoniously terminated as chairman of Air India in 1978 by the then Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Morarji Desai. While he was re-appointed as the chairman in 1980 by Hon’ble Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had returned to power, he no longer possessed the appetite for this appetite. Thus, the descent of Air India had begun.
Author
Bhargavi
Bhargavi is an audit analyst associated with KVA for a year. She has gained incredible insights and expertise from her work revolving in the spheres of statutory compliance, international taxation and risk advisory services. She is riveted by the economic affairs and enjoys reading and writing."
The first feeling I got while reading the blog is visual imagery , just because of the very fact of the exquisite word selection. I just cannot wait for the sequel.