NEW DELHI: Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran on Friday affirmed that the group will remain committed to doing what is right, even in the face of tragedy, as the company grapples with one of India’s worst aviation tragedies.He said that the Tata group was build on trust and care. “It is a difficult moment, but we will not retreat from our responsibilities, from doing what is right. We will carry this loss. We will not forget.”Chandrasekaran said this in an internal message to Tata employees, a day after a London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 of the 242 people on board.
He began the message grieving the loss of its passengers, saying that the company is in “shock and mourning.”“To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible.”Calling it “one of the darkest days in Tata Group’s history,” he added, “my thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the people who died and were injured in the crash. We are here for them.”Tata Sons, which took over Air India in 2022, said passenger safety has always been its foremost priority. “There was no compromising on it,” Chandrasekaran affirmed.He also assured staff and the public that investigative teams from the UK and the US, now in Ahmedabad, have the group’s full cooperation. “Once we have verified facts, we will be transparent in our communication about how this tragedy took place.”“They have our full cooperation, and we will be completely transparent about the findings,” he added, saying “We owe it to the families and loved ones, to our pilots and crew, and to you.”He also acknowledged the growing speculation around the crash, and urged the public to be patient. He also said that only trained investigators will be able to explain how this routine flight ended in tragedy, once their probe is complete.The chairman further added that none of this matters to the people who suffered devastating losses yesterday.“At this time, we can only assure them of our full support. We will pull together as a Group and find ways to help them.”
