Maharashtra secures ownership of Mumbai’s famous Air India tower

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Mumbai: The Air India building, one of the best-known of Mumbai’s landmarks, has now been officially taken over by the state government at Rs 1,601 crore.

It marks a successful end to years of negotiation and brings one of the city’s most famous structures under state ownership.

Built in 1974, the 23-storey tower served as the airline’s base until it relocated its head office to Delhi in 2013. Since then, the property has been leased to various government departments and commercial tenants.

It is one of the country’s most expensive sea-facing sites, and the Nariman Point building has long dominated south Mumbai’s skyline.

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Air India Assets Holding Company Limited and the state’s Public Works Department signed off on the sale in the presence of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, at the Mantralaya following a cabinet meeting.

The purchase, approved by the state cabinet years ago but completed on Friday, is seen as a smart deal by state officials to bring together offices under one building and exploit valuable government land to the fullest.

The Air India Building is a widely recognised architectural jewel of Mumbai, located on Marine Drive, looking out over the Arabian Sea, and its addition to the state’s assets portfolio will surely be beneficial to the state administration.

Now fully in state control, the Air India Building stands not only as a famous Mumbai landmark but as a part of Indian aviation history.

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