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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved...

AI’s Maharaja smiles joyfully

All 30 grounded aircrafts now fly Mumbai : Air India’s Maharaja is all pleased as punch at 80. After years of huge costs and efforts, the last of the grounded 30 aircraft – inherited by the Tata Group during the privatization in Jan. 2022 – is now resurrected fully and took to the skies gracefully on Monday.   The aircraft is the gleaming VT-ALL, a Boeing 777-300ER, that was gathering grime since February 2020, and becomes the final among the two-and-half dozen aircraft that have been revved up and revived in the past few years, AI official sources said.   It marked a symbolic milestone for Air India itself - founded in 1932 by the legendary Bharat Ratna J. R. R. Tata - which once ruled the roost and was India’s pride in the global skies.   Once renowned for its royal service with the iconic Maharaja welcoming fliers on board, in 1953 it was taken over by the government of India. After years of piling losses, ageing aircraft, decline in operations and standards – almost like a Maharaja turning a pauper - it returned to the Tata Group four years ago.   This time it was not just the aircraft, the brand and the deflated Maharaja coming into the large-hearted Tata Group stables, but a formidable challenge to ensure that the airline could regain its old glory and glitter. Of the total around 190 aircraft in its fleet were 30 – or 15 pc – that had been grounded and neglected for years.   At that time, the late Ratan N. Tata had directed that all these valuable aircraft must be revived as far as possible and join the fleet. Accordingly, the VT-ALL, languishing at Nagpur for nearly five years, was ‘hospitalized’ at the Air India Engineering Service Ltd., its MRO facility in May 2025.   New Avatar Then started a thorough, painstaking nose-to-tail restoration of an unprecedented scale, in which over 3000 critical components were replaced, over 4,000 maintenance tasks executed, besides key structural upgrades like the longeron modification, engines, auxiliary power units, avionics, hydraulics, landing gears and almost every vital system was rebuilt or replaced.   After the repairs, the old aircraft was reborn, under the gaze of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and technical assistance from Boeing, and the new ‘avatar’ jetliner emerged with the highest global safety standards.   The aircraft cleared all the rigorous checks, a successful test flight, earned the mandatory Airworthiness Review Certificate and then made its maiden commercial flight from Monday, March 16 – after a wait of six years.   Sturdy Fliers Created in 1946 to become an instant global icon, the Air India’s mascot Maharaja now sports a youthful and chic look, a welcome with folded hands, closed eyes, featuring a bejewelled turban, stylish jootis, and a textured kurta in Air India’s new colours. He is prominently visible at various touch-points in a flyer’s journey, such as First Class, exclusive lounges, and luxury products.   Today, he commands a mix fleet of around 190 narrow and wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft like : A319, A320, A320neo, A321, A321neo, A350-900 and B787-8, B787-9, B7770200LR, B-777-300ER. With the merger of Vistara and agreements signed for 10 A350 and 90 A320 aircraft, the Maharaja’s fleet is slated to soar to some 570 in the near future.

Trailblazing Bureaucrat

The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.


PART - 7


Name: Sujata Saunik | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Name: Sujata Saunik | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra

In June 2024, Maharashtra appointed Sujata Saunik as Chief Secretary, the first woman to hold the position in the state’s 64-year history. Her achievement resonated beyond breaking a glass ceiling.


Sujata’s journey into public service began in 1987, when she joined the Indian Administrative Service. Over the next three decades, she worked across a wide spectrum of responsibilities, including public health, finance, education, social welfare, and disaster management. Her assignments were not limited to Maharashtra; she also served in national institutions such as the National Disaster Management Authority and the Central Social Welfare Board and represented India in United Nations missions in Kosovo and Cambodia. Each of these roles added depth to her understanding of how governance systems must function—not only efficiently, but inclusively, reaching the last person in the queue.


Her academic background gave her a strong foundation for reform. A gold medallist in history from Panjab University and later a Takemi Fellow at Harvard School of Public Health, she blended scholarship with practical action. This mix of intellectual rigour and hands-on experience shaped her approach as an officer: disciplined, data-driven, yet sensitive to human needs.


Sujata’s rise to the top was not without obstacles. Twice she was overlooked for the post of Chief Secretary, first in 2023 when her own husband, Manoj Saunik, was chosen, and again in early 2024 when another senior officer was appointed. For many, such setbacks might have been disheartening, but she chose patience and professionalism over disappointment. When she finally assumed charge in June 2024, her appointment became symbolic not just for women in administration but for anyone who believes that persistence eventually earns its place.


Her leadership style has been described as strict yet nurturing. Colleagues see her as a no-nonsense officer, firm in her expectations, but also willing to mentor and guide younger officers. One of her first initiatives as Chief Secretary was to make cabinet meetings paperless, introducing iPads for ministers and moving towards a more transparent, technology-driven system. While the change may appear procedural, it reflected her larger vision: governance that is modern, efficient, and accountable.


Sujata’s appointment was historic not only for her own achievement but also as part of a larger milestone: for the first time in Maharashtra’s history, three All India Services posts are held by women. Alongside Rashmi Shukla, the state’s first woman Director General of Police, and Shomita Biswas of the Indian Forest Service, Sujata led the administration as Chief Secretary, sending a powerful message that women are not merely participants in governance but are shaping its very direction.


Beyond titles and reforms, Sujata’s story is one of resilience and inclusion. It shows that genuine progress in governance lies in empowering people, building trust, and creating opportunities for the often unseen. She embodies this spirit, proving that discipline and compassion can transform a state.


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