 "N Chandrasekaran")
A day after one of the worst aviation disasters on Indian soil, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Friday called the tragedy “one of the darkest days in the Tata group’s history”, pledging full transparency as investigations begin into the crash of an Air India aircraft in Ahmedabad.
In a letter to employees on Friday, Chandrasekaran, who is also Air India chairman, acknowledged the profound grief sweeping through the Tata group, which owns Air India, and assured the families of the victims that the conglomerate would stand by them in every possible way.
Chandra, who rushed to the crash site on Thursday, also virtually addressed top officials of the group and the airline on the issue, assuring full transparency and help to the families.
“What occurred was inexplicable, and we are in shock and mourning,” he wrote. “To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible.”
“Why this routine flight turned into a calamity is something trained investigators will help us understand when their work is complete. Once we have verified facts, we will be transparent in our communication about how this tragedy took place,” he said.
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The crash, which killed over 240 people on the Ahmedabad-London flight, has raised questions about operational safety just over three years after the group regained control of the carrier from the government in January 2022.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Chandrasekaran said investigation teams from India, the United Kingdom, and the United States had reached Ahmedabad and had begun their probe.
“They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings,” he added, stressing that speculation at this point would be premature and potentially harmful.
The group faces the dual challenge of responding compassionately to the human toll and managing reputation damage. The conglomerate, which was busy turning around Air India, had made passenger safety the cornerstone of its revival strategy.
“Ensuring the safety of its passengers was our first and foremost priority. There was no compromise on it,” Chandrasekaran said.
The Tata chief urged patience, noting that the group would not retreat from its responsibilities.
“We built this group on trust and care. It is a difficult moment, but we will not retreat from doing what is right,” he said.
The letter comes as families of the victims await answers and the global aviation industry watches the situation.
“We will carry this loss. We will not forget,” Chandrasekaran concluded.
