The Caravan
banner
caravanmagazine.in
The Caravan
@caravanmagazine.in
India’s finest magazine of politics and culture.

Visit us: https://caravanmagazine.in/
Subscribe: https://caravanmagazine.in/subscribe
The Caravan is able to publish journalism like this thanks to the support of our subscribers. To help us continue doing this work, subscribe today: caravanmagazine.in/subscribe

Or contribute: caravanmagazine.in/contribute

Cover illustration by Tushar Agarwal.
Subscribe | The Caravan
content
caravanmagazine.in
July 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Print copies of the issue will be delivered to print subscribers and rolled out to newsstands over the next two weeks, depending on location. Copies will also be available for purchase on Amazon from July 10th.
Subscribe | The Caravan
content
caravanmagazine.in
July 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
The July 2025 issue is now available online for all subscribers. If you are a subscriber and unable to log in to our website, please write to subscriptions@caravanmagazine.in
The Caravan
content
caravanmagazine.in
July 1, 2025 at 8:12 AM
[10/10] Read Praveen Donthi's report from December 2011 on Praful Patel and the fall of Air India: caravanmagazine.in/reportage/ta...
Praful Patel and the fall of Air India
On 28 July 2007, Air India’s newest plane descended from the silver cotton clouds of a pale monsoon sky, escorted by a pair of Indian Air Force fighter jets.
caravanmagazine.in
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[9/10] “The original order was 10 Airbus aircraft for AI and 18 Boeing for AI Express,” a former senior airline official told me. “The 10 [for Air India] was increased to 50, but it was all given to Boeing.”
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[8/10] The other parties to the making of the airplane deal have declined to speak publicly about the decision to revise the size of the order—or the subsequent and equally controversial decision to give the entire purchase order to Boeing.
Praful Patel and the fall of Air India
On 28 July 2007, Air India’s newest plane descended from the silver cotton clouds of a pale monsoon sky, escorted by a pair of Indian Air Force fighter jets.
caravanmagazine.in
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[7/10] Sunil Arora, chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines from 2002 to 2005, who opposed many of Patel’s moves with Air India.
caravanmagazine.in/reportage/ta...
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[6/10]...the order and awarding the contract to Boeing, citing the shift in seat configuration and the expected delay in delivery of the 787s. “That haunted Arora for a long time,” the senior official said. “The government put serious pressure on him, which may be why he now refuses to talk.”
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[5/10] Objections raised by Airbus were apparently echoed inside the airline: according to the former official, an Air India board member, Sunil Arora, dispatched a “damning” letter in May 2005 to the Cabinet secretary, alleging multiple irregularities in the process of revising...
Praful Patel and the fall of Air India
On 28 July 2007, Air India’s newest plane descended from the silver cotton clouds of a pale monsoon sky, escorted by a pair of Indian Air Force fighter jets.
caravanmagazine.in
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[4/10] After the Air India board decided to place its order with Boeing on 26 April 2005, Airbus executives demanded an investigation, pointing to the revised seat configuration and the fact that the purchase order included 27 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which had not yet entered production.
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[3/10] According to a former senior airline official, the specifications for seats and configuration were changed “at the last minute” to favour Boeing, which led to an outraged response from Airbus.
Praful Patel and the fall of Air India
On 28 July 2007, Air India’s newest plane descended from the silver cotton clouds of a pale monsoon sky, escorted by a pair of Indian Air Force fighter jets.
caravanmagazine.in
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
[2/10] Praful Patel with Boeing’s Alan Mulally (left) and Air India CMD V Thulasidas in Mumbai after signing the deal to purchase 68 Boeing aircraft on 11 January 2006.
caravanmagazine.in/reportage/ta...
June 13, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Mallya and Trump were both bequeathed a massive inheritance, and have proceeded to splurge it on expensive cars, yachts, gadgets and apartments across the world.

Read Kaushal Shroff's essay from March 2016 on Vijay Mallya: The poor bank’s Donald Trump:
caravanmagazine.in/vantage/vija...
Vijay Mallya: The poor bank’s Donald Trump
caravanmagazine.in
June 8, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Time and again, a number of ventures under their name have applied for debt-restructuring and despite the frequent liquidity crunch in their companies, both have amassed massive wealth for themselves.
Vijay Mallya: The poor bank’s Donald Trump
caravanmagazine.in
June 8, 2025 at 7:11 AM