UAE-Based Indian Entrepreneur Pledges Rs 6 Crore to Families of AI171 Crash Victims
- UAE-based Indian entrepreneur Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil pledged ₹6 crore to support families of students killed in the Air India AI171 crash.
- The London-bound Air India flight crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, killing several, including four medical students.
- Air India and Tata Sons announced additional compensation, while global community members step in to aid affected families.
In the wake of the tragic Air India AI171 crash that claimed several lives, including four medical students in Ahmedabad, UAE-based Indian-origin entrepreneur Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil has pledged Rs 6 crore to support the bereaved families.
The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport when the London-bound flight struck the BJ Medical College hostel mess, killing numerous people, including four medical students – Manav, Aaryan, Rakesh, and Jaiprakash – who were preparing to become doctors.
“They were future frontline heroes… The AI171 crash took them from us”, Dr. Shamsheer shared on X (formerly Twitter). 'Pledging Rs 6 crore to support their families and others affected'. Known for his philanthropic work, Dr. Shamsheer is also the son-in-law of MA Yusuff Ali, the owner of LuLu Group International.
Sharing his deep personal connection to the tragedy, he added, “Having lived in medical hostels, the images felt painfully familiar. This gesture is personal. It stands with the students who never got to serve, and with the families now carrying their memories forward”.
The Air India flight had 242 people on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national. Tragically, only one passenger, a British national of Indian origin, survived.
In an official statement, Air India announced an interim payment of Rs 25 lakh (around £21,000) to the families of the deceased and to the sole survivor, in addition to the Rs 1 crore (approximately £85,000) compensation earlier announced by Tata Sons.
The heartfelt donation from Dr. Shamsheer highlights the growing support from the global Indian community for those affected by this devastating tragedy.
