India Daily: Tata Group Seeks Regulatory Nod to Merge Vistara with Air India

Indian conglomerate Tata Group has sought fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of India's approval for a merger between its Air India and Vistara — the company's joint venture with Singapore Airlines — into a single full service carrier called Air India. This is separate from the already underway (and regulator-approved) merger of Air India Express and Air Asia India into a single low cost carrier, named Air India Express. Tata would hold 51 percent of the total equity of the merged entity while Singapore Airlines would own a 25.1 percent minority stake, according to a filing on the regulator’s website. Air India would also absorb all Vistara employees. Vistara currently has about 5,103 employees, and around 80 percent are operational staff, including pilots, cabin crew and engineers. The merger, announced in November last year, would create a stronger rival to India's dominant carrier IndiGo and help Singapore Airlines solidify its foothold in one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets. Air India recently placed a mega order for 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus as it plans to become a dominant player globally. 

Betting big on religious destinations for expansion, IPO-bound hospitality and travel technology company Oyo has announced that it will add 50 properties in Ayodhya in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh this year. Of these, about 25 will be homestays run by homeowners and another 25 will be small and medium hotels with 10 to 20 rooms each. “We have started onboarding homestays already. Ayodhya is the top spiritual city in our plans of expanding Oyo footpri