Indian-origin entrepreneur in UAE pledges ₹6 crore to families of medical students killed in Air India crash

An Air India flight in Ahmedabad crashed into the hostel mess of a medical college where students had gathered for lunch.

Updated on: Jun 17, 2025, 08:49:53 IST

By Trisha Sengupta

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An Indian-origin entrepreneur in UAE has expressed his sorrow over the death of the students who were killed after an Air India flight crashed into a medical college hostel mess moments after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad. In his post, he pledged to pay ₹6 crore to the families of the students who died in this tragedy.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, an Indian-origin businessman in UAE, pledged ₹6 crore for the victims’ families. (Instagram/@drshamsheervp)

“They were future frontline heroes. Manav, Aaryan, Rakesh, and Jaiprakash were preparing to save lives, not lose their own. The AI171 crash took them from us. Pledging ₹6 crore to support their families and others affected,” Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, whose X bio says he is an entrepreneur in UAE, shared the post.

Also Read: ‘Bana liya content? Mil gye views?’: Woman slammed for reel on ‘empty’ Air India flight day after Ahmedabad crash

“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,” he added in an update.

According to the Hindu, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil is the son-in-law of MA Yusuff Ali, the owner of the retail conglomerate LuLu Group International.

The four students were among several people who died when the London-bound flight crashed into BJ Medical College building. Among the 242 passengers aboard the plane, only one person survived.

Also Read: ‘Hugged her, asked her to take care: Heartbroken brother recalls last interaction with sister killed in Air India crash

“The passengers comprised 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, 7 Portuguese nationals and 1 Canadian national. The survivor is a British national of Indian origin,” Air India wrote in a statement on X. The plane also had ten cabin crew members and two pilots.

“Air India will be providing an interim payment of ₹25 lakh or approximately 21,000 GBP each to the families of the deceased and to the survivor, to help address immediate financial needs. This is in addition to the ₹1 crore or approximately 85,000 GBP support already announced by Tata Sons,” Air India announced in a statement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trisha Sengupta
Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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