Skip to main content

Turbulent Times - The Air India Story

Part 1


With the cabinet giving a go-ahead in June 2017 for the government to try and sell Air India, I can't help but feel a sense of closure of a chapter in the long standing relationship between the government & the aviation sector. It is a move that has been debated since 2011 - the year when attempts were made, for the first time, to privatize the airline.

With the market in flux and purchasing power low, is it a wise move by the government at this point in time? - Hard to say. But was it a move that was long due? - Probably yes.
After multiple attempts by the government to convert the airline into a profit-making unit, it has still been unable to match the private giants that have grown at a rapid pace in the past few years.

Air India, currently at the 4th position with 13% market share after Indigo, Jet Airways, and Spice Jet, is the talk of the town. It is up for sale, but the question remains intact - who will buy Air India and all its debt? Will the journey take a full circle and land up again with its founder - the TATA group?

On that note, we take a step back in time and have a quick look at how the airline has evolved over the years!

Air India History and Timeline


Information Sources: http://bit.ly/2tAOCk2 http://bit.ly/2t6P1Hr , Infographic created using Piktochart http://bit.ly/1MXn91Y , http://bit.ly/1MXn91Y, http://bit.ly/2pQSNbz

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Taking Customers Out of the Markets!

A market may have unlimited definitions. Let’s just get down to the basics and say out loud the first line that comes to our mind. Markets – A place where buyers and sellers meet, a place where goods are being sold to customers, a place where commodities are exchanged for money with the buyers– three answers that top the charts. But, for argument sake, let’s imagine  a market without the buyers . A place where sellers are selling, goods are being sold and commodities are getting exchanged for money – & No sight of customers. Incomplete? Self-implied? Or does it sound familiar? We see markets packed with people. And more often than not, we wish that the crowd around us would just disappear! Won’t that be so easy? No hassle to look for your size and a much needed break from the endless queues outside the trial rooms & billing counters. And snap goes the genie! You wished for it – you got it! Here comes the “e-commerce” boom. Isn't that “trending” these days? W...

The Air India Story Part 2

Part 2 Whenever you see an Air India advertisement, it is hard to miss the "Maharajah" or the emperor which stands as a hospitable mascot for the brand since 1946. Strongly identifying its values with the rich cultural heritage of the country, Air India has positioned itself as a dynamic Indian brand that believes in "Atithi devo bhava" (a guest is like god). This is clearly impersonated in its mascot who humbly folds his hands in the form of "Namaste", a gesture of respect and welcome, widely used in the country. With disinvestment and privatisation on the cards, Air India's most recent marketing strategy might see a shift towards making it a more appealing buy for the potential investors. In this light, it is quite interesting to see the marketing journey of the airline and gauge how far it has come. While the entire brand talks of rich Indian culture and heritage, right from its inception, Air India is known to cause a stir through it...