Air India’s record aircraft deal has put the Tata Group-owned airline in the league of aspiring global carriers.
On Tuesday, it provisionally agreed to acquire almost 500 jets from Airbus and Boeing to take on domestic and international rivals.
Striking the largest ever deal by one airline took months of secret talks carried out a stone’s throw from Britain’s Buckingham palace and culminating in a celebration over coastal Indian curries, according to people involved in the talks.
Confidentiality was lifted on Tuesday as leaders hailed the accord in a diplomatic embrace between leading G20 nations. Tata Group, which regained control of Air India last year after decades of public ownership, put out just six paragraphs.
