N. Chandrasekaran gets open letter over absence at Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's funeral: ‘Is this New India?'

Mint

5 hours ago

On June 17, Pushkaraj Sabharwal stood with teary eyes and folded hands outside his Mumbai home. He paid the final tribute to his son, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The seasoned pilot died in the tragic Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Now, an open letter shared by veteran pilot Captain Shakti Lumba has gone viral. The writer of the open latter, whose name is withheld, addressed Air India Chairman N. Chandrasekaran's alleged absence during Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's funeral.
The open letter pointed out that Chandrasekaran was in Mumbai on the same day but didn't attend, nor did any Air India or Tata Sons board member.
'No shoulder to lean on. No condolences delivered in person. One wonders: is this the 'New India' the Tata Group wants to lead?' said the open letter..
According to him, Sabharwal was not just an employee but a valued commander and part of the Tata family. Lumba recalled how former Air India Chairman Ashwani Lohani once personally supported a junior staff member's family during the tragedy.
'When a relatively junior Flight Despatcher passed away in Mumbai years ago, Lohani didn't send a card or a floral arrangement. He showed up — and went further, offering the grieving wife a job. No cameras. No LinkedIn posts. Just humanity,' the open letter added.
Captain Lumba questioned whether past leaders like J.R.D. Tata or Ratan Tata would have skipped such a moment. According to the veteran pilot, leadership means showing up in difficult times.
'The message is loud and clear: You're just a name in a roster. A code in the system. Replaceable. Today, the employees of Air India feel abandoned. Not by fate, not by circumstance, but by you. And in your absence, we saw everything,' the open letter said.
Social media users echoed the sentiments shared in the open letter.
'Tata Companies has lost all its credibility and respect after the passing of Ratan Tata. Sad demise of a great company,' wrote one user.
Another wrote, 'Air India must provide a full time care taker to his father. He is elder and now as his life would be more difficult with out a son. He is very lonely now.'
'After ratan tata it's not the same TATA group. Wouldn't have been surprised if this was done by Adani and Ambani but seeing this from Tata is disheartening,' wrote another user.
According to Air India, multiple representatives of the company attended Captain Sabharwal's funeral.
'At his funeral today, our COO, Tata Group's HR Head and Communications Head joined his family, friends, and colleagues to pay their respects, share in their pain and grief, and to offer moral support on behalf of the entire Air India and Tata Group family,' Air India wrote on X.