Tata Sons Announces ₹500 Crore Memorial Trust for Victims of Air India Crash in Ahmedabad

Tata Sons on Friday announced the establishment of a public charitable trust to support victims of the tragic Air India Flight AI-171 crash that claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad on June 12.

Named ‘The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’, the initiative aims to offer both immediate relief and long-term assistance to the families of those killed, the injured, and others affected directly or indirectly by the disaster, the company said in a statement.

The trust, registered in Mumbai, will also extend psychological and institutional support to first responders, medical professionals, disaster relief workers, and government staff who played a critical role in the aftermath of the accident.

The trust will be overseen by a five-member Board of Trustees. Two trustees have already been appointed: S. Padmanabhan, a Tata Group veteran, and Sidharth Sharma, General Counsel at Tata Sons. Additional trustees will be named in due course.

The crash, which involved a Boeing 787 aircraft, killed 241 of the 242 people on board as well as 19 individuals on the ground. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that both fuel switches were mistakenly moved to the “cutoff” position shortly after takeoff, leading to an engine stall just three seconds into the flight.

Following the tragedy, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran had pledged ₹1 crore in ex-gratia support to the families of each victim and committed to rebuilding the B.J. Medical College hostel, which was severely damaged in the crash.

Friday’s announcement reaffirmed that commitment, with Tata Sons and Tata Trusts each pledging ₹250 crores, for a total of ₹500 crores toward the Trust’s objectives. These include:

• ₹1 crore ex-gratia compensation for each deceased victim

• Medical care for those with serious injuries

• Reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, including the hostel at B.J. Medical College

The Trust will commence operations after completing registration with tax authorities and other regulatory formalities.