J.N.Gogoi's successor as the chief of Air India will be named during the upcoming week. Mr. Gogoi is being forced to retire on January 31 by the government policy mandating retirement for all employees at the age of 58 in order to reduce headcount.

The expected successor is Anurag Goel, a close confidant of Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain. Goel has no airline or corporate experience, but is a career bureaucrat in the Indian Administrative Service. He is currently serving as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Mr. Gogoi has served as the head of Air India since December 1, 2001 when he succeeded Michael Mascarenhas following the latter's retirement after only 2 days in office. He had previously served as Acting Managing Director from May 2001 to November 2001 while Mascarenhas was under investigation for politically motivated charges of corruption that were subsequently dismissed as unsubstantiated.