Tatas seek to register new airline as 'Tata SIA Airlines Ltd'

Starting the process of incorporating a new company for its proposed aviation venture with Singapore Airlines, the Tata group has sought to register this entity as 'Tata SIA Airlines Limited'.

Going by the proposed name, the new company is expected to be a 'public company', which needs to have a suffix 'limited' to its name. The private limited companies need to suffix their names with 'private limited'.

The brand name of the proposed airline, however, is yet to be announced.

The application for registration of this name has been filed with the Registrar of Companies through submission of form '1A', which is the first step towards incorporation of a new company.

According to the latest information available with the Corporate Affairs Ministry, the registration is currently "under process" and can be approved soon.

This would be followed by submission of various other documents, including the Article of Association, and details of the company's board of directors, share capital, business areas etc.

Incidentally, Tata SIA Airlines Limited would be among the first major companies to be incorporated under the new Companies Act, 2013, that came into effect earlier this month.

Tata Sons, the holding company of salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group, and Singapore Airlines announced on Thursday that they are setting up a new full-service airline in India. While Tata Sons would hold majority 51 per cent stake, Singapore Airlines (SIA) would have remaining 49 per cent.

The two partners are expected to make an initial investment of $100 million to launch the airline, which may take off next year after necessary clearances.

This is the third attempt by the two partners to enter the Indian civil aviation sector.

The Tatas have a long history of association with civil aviation in India. In 1932, JRD Tata had started Tata Airlines, which was later in 1946 renamed as Air India and was subsequently nationalised in 1953.

Earlier in February this year, Tata group had also announced a partnership with Malaysia's AirAsia for a low-cost carrier in India, wherein Arun Bhatia's Telestra Tradeplace Pvt Ltd is the third partner.