In a strategic move, Tata Sons has appointed former Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola as a senior advisor to the airline. It is part of a broader leadership reshuffle that also saw its Global Head of Corporate Communications being reassigned.
These moves are basically designed to lift the reputation of the Air India from the lowest ebb following the AI 171 plane crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025 and to supplement the airline’s renewed focus on governance, regulatory compliance, and crisis management.
There is no doubt that Air India is currently passing through its most difficult phase since its privatization in 2022 following the Ahmedabad plane crash that claimed about 260 lives, and to add insult to injury, its CEO Campbell Wilson reportedly used a condolence message that was allegedly plagiarized from a statement by American Airlines.
To cap it, the airline bore regulatory penalties of Rs. 1 crore from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for operating an Airbus A320 eight times without a valid airworthiness review certificate, resulting in the DGCA citing “eroded public trust” and holding senior leadership accountable.
Further complications might be in store for Air India, as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is to release its final report on the AI 171 disastrous crash soon. The report could trigger further legal and regulatory liabilities for the airline. Besides, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran is reportedly searching for a potential successor to Wilson ahead of his 2027 term end.
If viewed from this background, Kharola’s induction on its board appears to be a fool-proof strategy as he knows the intricacies of running Air India first as its CMD and later as Aviation Secretary overseeing its privatisation in 2022. In this way Kharola brings unmatched experience in both regulatory and operational aspects of the aviation sector.
Industry experts believe that Kharola might be seen leading sensitive negotiations with the government and regulatory authorities, including the DGCA, as Air India desperately needs to restore its compliance credibility and public trust.
Similarly, its CEO Campbell Wilson’s condolence message fiasco that brought ignominy to the airline prompted the Tata Sons to replace its veteran executive Partha Ghosh, who looked after communication, as part of this strategic overhaul.
Kharola has a distinguished career as an administrator, who was currently posted as the Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), appointed to restore the sagging public trust in the national examination system after irregularities in exams sullied its image.
An M.Tech. from IIT Delhi, Kharola, a 1985 batch IAS of the Karnataka cadre, brings with him vast experience gained after holding several key positions in his career. Besides having served as CMD of Air India and Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, he was also the Director General of NTA, CMD of India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), MD of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL), and MD of BMTC, apart from the senior roles he played in Karnataka’s state administration.
Thus, Kharola’s induction underscores Tata Sons’ desperate move to navigate the airline through one of its toughest times by reposing faith in a tested leadership with sound regulatory experience.
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