

Air India’s FY26 loss could eat into Tata Sons' dividend income from TCS
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Mumbai/New Delhi: Air India posted an estimated loss of nearly $3 billion in FY26, as foreign exchange losses, airspace disruptions and elevated fuel costs battered the Tata Group-owned airline during the year.The losses were large enough to significantly erode the dividend income parent Tata Sons earned from its cash cow Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in the previous fiscal year.According to the full-year earnings released by Singapore Airlines (SIA) on Thursday, the carrier’s share of losses from Air India were at Singapore $945.2 million (US$742.4 million) in FY26, reflecting its 25.1% stake in the Tata Group-owned airline.With currency conversions factoring in Thursday's exchange rates, as per this shareholding, Air India Group’s total loss for the year is estimated at S$3.76 billion ($2.97 billion), or roughly ₹28,400 crore, at current exchange rates.To be sure, Tata Sons and employees own 74.9% of Air India, and hence its share of the losses would be about ₹21,270 crore, while the remaining 25.1% is being recognized by SIA.Tata Sons received about ₹28,292 crore in dividend income from TCS in FY26, down 12.1% from ₹32,184 crore in FY25, according to a Mint report published on 12 April.Tata Sons is expected to share its financial performance in July, while privately-held Air India will file its earnings with the ministry of corporate affairs in August.The estimated loss, which includes both full-service carrier Air India and low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, is almost three times the ₹10,859 crore loss reported in FY25, largely due to foreign exchange losses—as aircraft leases, fuel and maintenance expenses are denominated in US dollars—along with the financial impact of the