AirAsia on Monday said that the company has appointed Tata Group veteran, S.Ramadorai as the chairman of its India operations, nearly three months after the union government allowed the Malaysia based airline to set up operations in India. The announcement comes a day after Tony Fernandes, Chairman of AirAsia announced that Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus - Tata Sons was appointed as the Chief Advisor to the new airline.

S.Ramadorai is currently vice chairman at Tata Consultancy Services, where he was CEO from 1996 until 2009. He is also a cabinet ranked official in Manmohan Singh's government as he is an advisor to the Prime Minister in the National Council on Skill Development. "I would like to confirm Ramadorai as chairman of AirAsia India, a giant of Indian industry, and man from the South," Fernandes said on micro blogging website Twitter.

"That completes our team. Advisor, chairman, CEO and the board. Quite a heavyweight team for super exciting AirAsia India," Fernandes added on Twitter.

AirAsia had received approvals from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board in March this year to set up airline operations in the country. AirAsia had formed the joint venture with Tata Group and Telestra Tradeplace after the government relaxed foreign direct investment in the aviation sector.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh had told reporters last week that all the matters on AirAsia India were resolved. "All matters on AirAsia India have been resolved. The proposal has been sent to the home ministry for security clearance. Once the ministry's nod comes, the civil aviation ministry will give its clearance", he told reporters.

Ramadorai is the fourth person from the Tata group to hold a position in the airline joint venture after Ratan Tata as chief advisor, and R Venkataraman (former executive assistant to Ratan Tata) and Bharat Vasani (chief legal counsel of the Tata Group), who are directors on the board.

AirAsia India is a joint venture of Air Asia, Tata Sons and Arun Bhatia of Telestra Tradeplace with 49:30:21 holding.

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