Capital A, the Kuala Lumpur-based company that owns AirAsia, is actively looking to strengthen its presence in the Indian market and attract more tourists to the country, as stated by the company's Chief Executive Officer, Tony Fernandes, on Monday. Despite selling its Indian aviation subsidiary to the Tata Group last year, Capital A remains optimistic about India's potential and is keen to work with the conglomerate to further develop opportunities in the region.

On the sidelines of the 21st Forbes Global CEO Conference, Tony Fernandes expressed the company's optimistic view of the Indian market, stating, "We are working with the Tata Group and hope to do a lot of work with the conglomerate." This strategic partnership aims to leverage the strengths of both organizations to enhance the aviation and tourism landscape in India.

Last year, Air India, owned by the Tata Group, entered into agreements to acquire a 100% stake in AirAsia India, marking a major development in the Indian aviation industry. The merger process also includes the integration of Air India Express, ultimately creating a unified Indian low-cost carrier. The expected completion of this merger is foreseen before the end of 2023, after a consolidation period of 12 months.

Tony Fernandes highlighted AirAsia's role in facilitating travel to and from India and highlighted their mission to bring tourists to the country and enable Indian tourists to explore international destinations. AirAsia has about 15 landing points in India, with the latest addition being Amritsar, connected to the Malaysian capital.

In line with their commitment to expand their footprint in India, Fernandes expressed the desire to establish additional connections to secondary and tertiary airports in addition to terminals T2 and T3. He highlighted AirAsia's commitment to providing enhanced connectivity within India, coinciding with the country's ongoing efforts to develop more airports.

India's burgeoning tourism industry and growing aviation infrastructure provide significant opportunities for companies such as Capital A and the Tata Group to play a crucial role in driving economic growth and facilitating travel in the region.