Late. Shri. Nariman J Katgara
Founder President - 5th December 1951

In 1949 the first Indian Travel Agent to participate at the 19th Annual Convention of the American Society of Travel Agents in Mexico, this inspired him to organize the fledging travel industry in India. On 5th December 1951, TAAI - Travel Agents Association of India was duly registered and Incorporated with Late Shri Nariman J. Katgara as the Founder President.

Shri. G K Khanna
1958 - 1959

Has been the Association President for the longest period of time. Now Mr. Khanna is the Chairman of IHHR Hospitality; a leading Spa Company in the Country.

Shri. Inder Sharma
1966 - 1969 & 1978 - 1979

who is now the Chairman of Select Holiday Resorts Ltd. He was the first and so far the only Travel Agent - Tour Operator to be honored with a Padma Shri for his contribution to the travel industry. He has been in the Travel Industry since 1953 and has been President of World Association of Travel Agents - Geneva for three consecutive terms, President of American Society of Travel Agents, President of Pacific Asia Travel Association and Member of Tourism Board too. He was also the only Indian to honored by the British Tourism Authority with the Holder of the Keys to Britain Award.

Shri. Arvind Parikh
1969 - 1971

The Chairman of Lemuir Group and Director of DHL Lemuir Logistics Pvt. Ltd, he has been a pioneer in the international freight forwarding and logistic field , his vision has been acknowledged by national and world associations on whose managing bodies he has held key positions. In the cultural field too, he is a top grade Sitar player and the President of Indian Musicology Society amongst other.

Shri. Vinoo Ubhayakar
1975 - 1978

Starting his travel industry career in 1949 with Asiatic Travel Service he went on to become the Managing Director in 1953. He joined Trade Wings as Executive Director and in 1965 was appointed the Managing Director a position he continues to hold today. He was elected to the board of Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association for four years then as Vice President for two years and then President for two years of this World Body. During his tenure he organized the Silver Jubilee Function in Mumbai and introduced the Agastya Awards too.

Shri. Mahendra K Sanghi
1980 - 1982

Chairman of the M K Sanghi Group of Companies, he has served as President of several leading Business Associations. He has also served as the Chairman of Bombay city Red Cross Society and on the Executive Board of International Chamber of Commerce. He is the Honorary Consul of Portugal in Mumbai and currently the Vice Chair of ICC World Chambers Federation , Paris.

Shri. Karan Sarwal
1982 - 1984

After studying in London he joined the International Travel & Cargo Company - Cox & Kings in Kolkata in 1953 and took over as the first Indian CEO of the Indian Operations in 1965 at the age of 37. Later he joined Thomas Cook India Ltd as Director. He was the first Thomas Cook representative to head TAAI, he was also elected to President of Freight Forwarders Association of India and The Air Cargo Agents Association of India while he was with Cox & Kings. He currently lives in Delhi.

Shri. Cyrus Guzder
1984 - 1985

Chairman and Director of AFL Private Limited, the company through its travel division IndTravels received its license in 1946 in the first batch approved by IATA. In 2000 with a joint venture with Carlson Wagonlit Travel for exclusive Corporate Travel , the company's turnover grew seven times over. Mr. Guzder holds an Honors Masters Degree from Trinity College, Cambridge and he is the founder member of World Travel and Tourism Council Initiative in India. He has served on Boards of several blue chip companies and has also headed CII National Committee on Civil Aviation for four years.

Shri. Vinod Kothari
1987 - 1988

Entering his 90th year, he has retired as the senior most IATA travel agent, he has been Past Director of Orissa Tourism, Hotel Corporation and is perhaps the only TAAI president to occupy each and every elected office in TAAI. He is now retired and settled in Pune.

Shri. C Nagendra Prasad
1991 - 1993

His first exposure to TAAI was as a Volunteer at the Hyderabad Convention of TAAI in 1963 with less than 100 delegates. Taking an active interest in the formation of the Kerala and the Karnataka Chambers which had more associate than active members , he conducted regional conferences in Kodaikanal and later Trivandrum which encouraged single location agents to attend TAAI conventions, in 1988 he was awarded the Hall of Fame Award and was the first Indian to be elected as SKAL asia Area President in 1966.

Shri. Tej Sahni
1993 - 1997

With a tenure of 4 years with four consecutive terms at TAAI he was able to take up the all important issue of General Sales Agents with the airlines and come to a solution. Also the TAAI- TAFI - IATA cash deposit scheme was finalized and implemented successfully in 1997 during his tenure and the Billing & Settlement Plan was initiated and finalized too.

Smt. Neeraj Ghei
1997 - 1999

The Managing Director of Select Holiday Resorts Pvt. Ltd. she joined SITA in 1985 as an Executive Assistant and rose to be the Joint Managing Director in 1988 of the Travel Division. After Sita merged with Kuoni, she was Director and COO for Business Travels, Special Interest Tours and Financial Services apart from Sita Travel & Tourism academy which she founded in 1992.She has been the only lady President of TAAI and has been the recipient of IMM Women Entrepreneur Award 1997, Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award 1983 and EON Fusion Award 1999 and SRCC Alumni Awards for Excellence.

Shri. Pradip Madhavji
1999 - 2001

The Chairman of the Tourism & Hospitality Committee of the Indian Merchants Chamber,Having worked with Thomas Cook since 1977, he has been the recipient of Kutcha-Ratna the highest honour bestowed by a community for leadership. He was appointed as New Zealand Honorary Consul in October 2002 and he has now been offered to take over the position of Honorary consul for Republic of Colombia. The founder President of Experience India Society he is the currently the Chairman at Indian Ocean Tourism Organization headquartered in Oman for promotion of Tourism in countries whose shores are washed by the Indian Ocean. He was also invited by World Tourism Council to deliver a paper at the workshop held in Cambodia on Tourism Opportunity in the Area.

Shri. Jehangir Katgara
2001 - 2003

From a Management Executive in 1974 with Travel Corporation of India to expansion in North America, Toronto, Far East, Australia and South America, he is also the pioneer of air charter tourism to Goa. Has been a member of the Executive Committee of PATA Indian Chapter. After TCI was sold to Thomas Cook he diversified and expanded his family business Jeena & Company a global logistic firm and then re entered tourism by purchasing Trail Blazer Tours which now has thirteen offices in India and Overseas representations. Also a keen car rally enthusiast.

Shri. Balbir S Mayal
2003 - 2005

Starting his career in 1971 as a non - IATA agent, he rose to become a leading travel agent in India with a turnover of almost USD 40 million. Presiding over New Airways Travels as Chairman, he has been awarded the Best Entrepreneur Award in 1995. During his tenure with TAAI he has introduced Insurance scheme for Members, developed successful relations with media and Embassies and also got the refund of the long overdue 2 crores from Indian Airlines.

Shri. Ashwini Kakkar
2005 - 2006

Currently Executive Vice Chairman of Mercury Travels India Ltd. A dynamic President during his tenure, he is a globe trotter and represent various corporate blue chip companies.

Shri. C V Prasad
2006 - 2008

The founder Chairman & Managing Director of IRISS Electronic Travel Distribution Pvt. Ltd and Managing Director of Travel Express Limited has been with the travel industry since 1986. He was the chairman of United Federation of Travel Agents Association , the third Indian to be so and a member of the Global Passenger Agency Program Global Joint Council for four years. This is the global body that supervises the IATA Passenger Agency Program. The first to be nominated to the American Express Global Advisory board he has received several awards including the Presidents Award for his contribution to TAAI beyond the call of duty.

Shri. Rajindar Rai
2008 - 2011

He founded Swifttravel International in 1982 and has been bestowed with the National Integrity Award. A top agent for most international airlines he is a member of Expert committee of Tourism and Advisor to Kuoni Academy and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage amongst many others. He is also the Founding Director of India Web Trade the first company in India to be allowed by SEBI to trade in overseas market. He is currently Advisor to TAAI Managing Committee and also Director- South Asia - UFTAA.