Do you know both India’s Air India and Pakistan’s Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have some connection to Gujarat? Interestingly, both the airlines have ownership connection to the state. While Air India was founded by the Tata Group, a prominent business family from Gujarat, PIA was recently privatised and acquired by a group led by Pakistani businessman Arif Habib, who also has ties to Gujarat. Reportedly, the deal for PIA was finalised at 135 billion Pakistani rupees, with Arif Habib Corp securing a 75% majority stake.
PIA owner’s connection to India
Arif Habib is a prominent Pakistani industrialist, whose group operates across financial services, chemicals, cement, steel, real estate, and the energy sector in Pakistan. Habib, who studied up to class 10, started his career with a brokerage firm and has now acquired Pakistan International Airlines. Although he was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1953, his family has roots in India. According to a Bloomberg report, Habib’s parents were from Bantva in Gujarat, India, and were involved in the tea business. When India and Pakistan were partitioned, they moved to Pakistan in 1948.
Arif Habib is also active in charity work through the Arif Habib Foundation, which supports healthcare, education, and social welfare projects. He has received several awards, including the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest civilian honours.
Air India’s Gujarat connection
Moving to Air India, it also has a connection to Gujarat. The Tata Group, one of the country’s oldest business houses, was founded by Jamsetji Tata, who was born in Navsari, Gujarat, in 1839. Beginning journey from Navsari, Tata Sons flourished in Mumbai, and its business soon expanded both domestically and internationally.
Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata laid the foundation of Air India in 1932. However, initially its name was not Air India, but Tata Airlines. JRD was India’s first pilot and played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s aviation sector. He flew a plane for the first time in 1919 and then established an airline. Another interesting fact is that Air India started with only two single-engine aircraft, and its first commercial flight took off in 1933. The government had acquired and nationalised Air India in 1953. And, after nearly 69 years, JRD Tata’s nephew, late Ratan Tata, officially acquired it on January 27, 2022, bringing it back into the Tata Group.
