Tata Airlines was established by visionary industrialist and aviator J.R.D. Tata shortly after he piloted India’s first civil aviation flight in 1932, flying mail from Karachi to Bombay (now Mumbai). This marked the beginning of commercial aviation in India.
In 1946, Tata Airlines transitioned into a public company and was renamed Air-India Ltd, with J.R.D. Tata continuing as its chairman. The transformation aimed to expand services and infrastructure to meet the growing demand for air travel in post-war India.
Later, in March 1953, under the Air Corporations Act, the company was nationalized and elevated to the status of a public corporation, thus becoming Air India—the national carrier of India. J.R.D. Tata remained at the helm, guiding the airline into an era of international prominence.
This journey—from a mail delivery service to a global airline—cemented Air India’s legacy as a symbol of Indian pride and innovation in aviation.
