Indian Airlines Limited was a domestic airline service owned by the Government of India. It was under the jurisdiction of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation with its headquarters in New Delhi. Its main bases were the international airports in Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi.

The airline was started under the Air Corporation Act, 1953 with an initial investment of Rs. 32 million. It started its operations on August 1st, 1953 and started its operations after legislation came into being to nationalize the entire airline industry. Air India took over the international routes and Indian Airlines Corporation undertook the domestic and regional routes. Seven domestic airlines, which enjoyed an independent status, were merged to form the new domestic national carrier. They were the Deccan Airways, Airways- India, Bharat A Airways, Bharat Airways, Himalayan Aviation, Kalinga Airlines, Air services of India and Indian National Airways. At that time Indian Airlines Corporation possessed a fleet of ninety nine aircraft including 74 Douglas DC-3 Dakotas, 12 Vickers Vikings, 3 Douglas DC -4s and various smaller varieties from the seven airlines.

In 1957 Vickers Viscounts and in 1961, Fokker F-27 Friendships was introduced. With the introduction of pure- jet Sud Aviation Caravelle in 1964 began the jet age for Indian Airlines Corporation. This was followed by Boeing 737-200s in the early 70`s. In the early 1990`s Airbus A320`S were introduced. However in the era of economic liberalization Indian airlines started facing stiff competition from private airlines companies like Jet Airways, Air Sahara, East - West Airlines and ModiLuft. In face of increasing domestic competition the airline underwent a restructuring of its organization, management and finances.

On December 2005 the company was renamed as `Indian` as a part of a programme to remodel the company`s image. The new logo of the airline is said to be a contemporary graphic representation of the wheel of Sun Temple at Konark in Orissa.