Tata Sons has formally set up a public charitable trust — The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust — to support the victims and families affected by the tragic Air India AI-171 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad.
The group has pledged a total of Rs 500 crore towards the trust, with Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, headed by Noel Tata, contributing Rs 250 crore each. The trust will provide financial and rehabilitation support, including a Rs 1 crore ex-gratia payment to the families of the deceased, medical assistance to those seriously injured, and aid for rebuilding the B.J. Medical College hostel, which was damaged during the crash.
The horrific incident, which occurred on June 12, claimed the lives of 241 out of the 242 passengers on board, as well as several individuals on the ground.
“The Trust will be funded and will commence its work in all earnestness after necessary registration with the tax authorities and other operational formalities, currently underway, are completed,” it said in a statement.
The Trust will provide both immediate and continuing support to the dependents/next-of-kin of the deceased, to those who were injured, and to all others who are directly or collaterally affected by the accident.
Importantly, the trust will also extend support to first responders, medical teams, disaster relief workers, and government personnel who played key roles in the rescue and recovery operations following the crash. This includes assistance to address trauma, mental health challenges, and other distress these individuals may have experienced in the course of their service.
The AI-171 Trust has been formally registered in Mumbai and will be governed by a five-member board. The first two trustees named are S. Padmanabhan, a long-serving Tata Group veteran, and Sidharth Sharma, General Counsel at Tata Sons. The remaining trustees will be appointed shortly.
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Commenting shortly after the tragedy, Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, who also chairs Air India, had spoken of the need for long-term care beyond financial help. “There are structures we want to put in place. One of the things we’ve been thinking about is creating a trust — something sustainable that can support affected families,” he said.
Meanwhile, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has stated that the preliminary findings into the AI-171 crash have opened up more questions than answers, indicating that the investigation remains ongoing and complex.
The AI-171 Trust represents a significant and compassionate effort by the Tata Group to support recovery and rebuild lives after one of India’s worst aviation disasters.
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