National air carrier Air India now has a new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) in senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola, 1985 batch, Karnataka cadre. He takes over the 100% government owned airline at a time when the Indian Government has started the process for its disinvestment. Air India has a debt burden of more than INR50,000 crore.
He will succeed another senior IAS officer Rajiv Bansal — additional secretary and financial advisor in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas — who was given additional charge of the post of CMD of Air India in August this year.
Bansal had succeeded then Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani who moved away to be appointed as Chairman of the Indian Railway Board. The government is working out the modalities for disinvestment of stake in Air India which has been incurring losses of thousands of crores every year.
