In a free side chat with Ravi Viswanathan, Managing Director, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, at NIT Trichy’s Global Alumni Reunion, Chandrasekaran talks about what people expect from Air India after its acquisition by the Tata Group in 2022. I was answering questions about what I could do.
“My commitment is to make every effort to make Air India the absolute top airline in the world. In every aspect: hardware, flight experience, customer experience, technology.” Chandrasekaran he said.
On a lighter note, he urged the assembled audience to urge aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus to deliver aircraft as ordered by Air India.
“I need you all to help me by getting Boeing and Airbus to deliver planes,” he said. Air India Group has ordered 470 aircraft, 250 from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. In December 2024, Air India ordered 100 more wide-body A350s and 90 narrow-body A320s, including the A321 neo. Replying to another question from Viswanathan about the semiconductor industry, Chandrasekaran said there was a huge opportunity in Tata’s exposure. In the semiconductor sector, Sands has invested approximately $18 billion in precision manufacturing, semiconductor assembly and test.
“Our semiconductor fab should be operational in 2026. So whether it’s the energy sector or the semiconductor sector, we’ve got a head start. We need to build a whole ecosystem with thousands of companies that will be coming into the ecosystem within the next 18 to 24 months,” he said.
He stressed that the semiconductor industry needs a focused and persistent approach, along with government policy support. “We need more investment and more research. Academic institutions also have to be involved (in the semiconductor field), so it’s a long journey,” he said.
