The government today announced an overhaul of the top management of Air India within a month and the induction of seven independent directors with a proven track record on the airline’s board. In addition, Air India may now get a non-Indian as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) as the government intends to launch a global search for the post to help CMD Arvind Jadhav beef up its day-to-day operations, civil aviation minister Praful Patel said.

“You will see in the next 30 days a major change in the top management in Air India. You are going to see a major change in the board. Some heads are going to roll. We are going to bring high quality people of great integrity and people with a proven track record in business,” Patel said. However, the final list of names will be up for PMO’s scrutiny as the PM is believed to be taking special interest in the restructuring of the national carrier. The names doing rounds for inclusion in the AI Board include National Knowledge Commission chairman Sam Pitroda, Infosys mentor and chairman N R Narayan Murthy and TCS CMD S Ramadorai. Official sources said that of the seven independent directors, who are to be inducted, five would be of international repute, while two would be government appointees.

Apart from revamping the board, the government would go in for "partial disinvestment" of the state-owned carrier in the near future, they said, adding that the plan was to ensure a full turnaround for the carrier in the next 24 months.