Tata Sons Sets Up Dedicated Trust For Air India Crash Victims' Families

Last Updated:July 18, 2025, 18:05 IST

Tata Sons established 'The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' to support Air India AI-171 crash victims, pledging Rs 500 crores for the Trust's initiatives

The Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. (File image: PTI)

Tata Sons on Friday announced that the group has set up a public charitable trust for the victims of the Air India AI-171 plane crash.

In a statement, Tata Sons said it has formalised and completed the registration of a public charitable trust in Mumbai.

Tata Sons said that the trust will be called ‘The AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust’ and it 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.

The crash in Ahmedabad, India, killed 241 of the 242 people aboard, as well as 19 people on the ground.

The Trust will also provide aid and assistance for the alleviation of any trauma or distress suffered by the first responders, medical and disaster relief professionals, social workers and governmental staff who provided invaluable institutional support and service in the aftermath of the accident.

“Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have together pledged to contribute Rs. 500 crores (with both committing Rs. 250 crores each) for the Trust’s philanthropic objects, which will include ex-gratia payment of Rs. 1 crore for those deceased, medical treatment of those who suffered serious injuries, and support for rebuilding the B.J. Medical College Hostel infrastructure which was damaged in the accident," read the statement.

The Trust will be managed and administered by a 5-member Board of Trustees. The initial two trustees appointed to the Board are: S. Padmanabhan, a former Tata veteran and Sidharth Sharma, Tata Sons’ General Counsel. Other trustees will be appointed soon.

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.

Air India Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson has said that the preliminary report into the crash of Air India flight AI171 last month has raised more questions. He said that the probe was far from over and it is unwise to jump to any premature conclusions.

“The release of the preliminary report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions," he said in an internal memo to airline staff.

He said there were no issues with fuel quality or takeoff roll and that the pilots had passed mandatory pre-fight breathalyser tests.

Amid speculation in various quarters about the reasons for the fatal crash that killed 260 people on June 12, the Air India chief said the preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations and urged everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday released its preliminary report on the crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 plane. The aircraft, which was operating the flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a building soon after takeoff.

Saurabh Verma

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Senior Sub-editor. He keenly observes politics. You can follow him on Twitter --twitter.com/saurabhkverma19

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