As Tata Takes Over Air India, Contenders For CEO, Other Top Roles

Among the potential hires is Fred Reid, a former executive with Virgin America Inc. and AirBnb Inc., as well as Nipun Aggarwal, an ex US-based banker-turned Tata executive, they said.

Tata Sons Pvt. is considering hiring several key executives for Air India Ltd., according to people familiar with the matter, as the nation's biggest conglomerate works to finalize a turnaround plan for the indebted carrier it's in the process of taking over from the state.

The group, which in October won a bid to regain control of the airline it originally launched in 1932, is considering both internal and external candidates for roles including the CEO of Air India and a chief financial officer, the people said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations are private.

Among the potential hires is Fred Reid, a former executive with Virgin America Inc. and AirBnb Inc., as well as Nipun Aggarwal, an ex US-based banker-turned Tata executive, they said.

Deliberations are still ongoing and no decision has been reached, the people added. Reid could be CEO and Aggarwal CFO, according to the Businessline and Economic Times newspapers, which published the news earlier.