The ‘knowledgeable and accessible‘ aviation team at AZB & Partners runs the gamut of transactional and regulatory work, routinely instructing lessors, financiers, and airlines on restructuring transactions, leaseback agreements, and aircraft purchases. Anand Shah heads up the ‘very proactive team‘ and handles aircraft deregistration and repossession, aircraft financing, and aviation-related banking and financing matters; Hufriz Wadia is another key name on this front. Rishiraj Baruah attracts praise for his ‘practical and pragmatic’ advice, while Sarah Rufus specialises in purchase and maintenance agreement advice for aircraft and engine manufacturers.

Attracting client praise for its ‘proactive approach and thorough understanding of regulatory and commercial intricacies‘, Dentons Link Legal stands out for its strength across the full spectrum of transactional regulatory, and contentious work. Handling airport expansion projects, airline disputes, and joint ventures, the team is also well-placed to advise on engine and aircraft purchases and leasing. Atul Sharma and Anand Srivastava jointly lead the practice; Sharma takes point on corporate litigations, while Srivastava is the name to note for transactional mandates. Also in the core team is Abhishek Sharma, a key name for arbitration proceedings.

Nitin Sarin heads up the aviation offering at boutique firm Sarin & Co., which stands out for its dedicated offering, which has notable strength in aircraft leasing and financing work as well as regulatory issues. Sarin, dual-qualified in India, England, and Wales, acts for domestic and foreign clients and handles aviation asset leasing. Working alongside him is Vanessa Pereira Fernandes, who leverages her in-house experience from the industry to advise on a broad range of aircraft finance issues.

Trilegal fields a ‘market-leading‘ aviation team with expertise across the full spectrum of relevant work, handling a diverse mix of contentious and non-contentious mandates for airports, large defence industry players, and aviation companies. Key names in the ‘exceptional‘ team include Delano Furtado, whose expertise spans aviation M&A, joint ventures, and market entry strategies; Milanka Chaudhury, a seasoned litigator with extensive experience advising airport operators, concessionaires, and airlines in regulatory disputes; and Ashish Bhan, a key name for commercial litigation and arbitration in the defence sector.

Counting major airports, domestic and international airlines, and key players in the defence industry among its clients, Kochhar & Co.’s aviation, aerospace, and defence offering leverages its full-service capabilities to advise on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious aviation matters. Managing partner Rohit Kochhar and senior partners Suhas Srinivasiah and Kaveri Srivastava jointly oversee the team; Srivastava focuses on corporate advisory and employment issues, while Vaibhav Joshi is the name to note for consumer disputes.

DMD Advocates counts leading Indian and international airlines, manufacturers, and investors on the full range of work related to aircraft financing, transactions, and disputes. In December 2023, the expanding team saw the arrivals of Vihang Virkar and Ayesha Rai; the two now co-head the team. Virkar is a key contact for aviation-related transactional mandates and also handles regulatory matters and enforcement actions. Aviation financing specialist Rai takes point on aircraft, helicopter, and engine leasing.

Rustam Gagrat and Uma Nagarajan jointly lead the aviation practice at Gagrats, which regularly advises major domestic and international airlines on cross-border aircraft financings and leasings, insolvency matters, and regulatory issues. Gagrat has extensive expertise in cross-border leaseback and aircraft financing matters, while Nagarajan takes point on restructuring and insolvency issues in the aviation space.

Handling regulatory issues, aviation-related transactions, and defence sector advisory, HSA Advocates is regularly instructed by airport operators and leading clients in the defence sector. Amrita Narayan and Monali Dutta co-head the team; Dutta has extensive experience advising on regulatory frameworks and airport operations, while Narayan takes point on contentious mandates, including airport tariff appeals and general aviation-related litigation.

Wadia Ghandy & Co’s aviation team attracts client praise for its ‘intimate knowledge of the aviation finance and leasing market in India‘ and stands out for its notable emphasis on aviation leasing work. Practice head Marylou Bilawala acts for aircraft owners, lessors, and financiers in leaseback transactions, regulatory matters, and disputes. Other names on the contentious front include Sharleen Lobo, who represents insurers and airlines in cargo and baggage liability cases, and Saakshi Malpekar, who ably assists on corporate matters.

DSK Legal acts for airport operators and international airlines, handling tender documentation, fraud disputes, and airport operation matters. Key names in the team include infrastructure expert Anjan Dasgupta, Harvinder Singh, who advises airport operators and concessionaires, and Avinash Kumar Khard, a key name for project finance. Mohit Bakshi departed the team to White & Brief Advocates and Solicitors in December 2024.

Rayasa Law Partners‘s defence and aerospace team regularly advises on defence supply chain work, licensing requirements, and government acquisition schemes. Regulatory issues and transactional work are further core pillars of work for the team. Subodh Sadana and Sangeet Rai focus on M&A and corporate advisory matters, respectively. Poonam Sadana is a key name for market entry matters, while Neha Yadav handles transaction structuring and due diligence.

Tuli & Co leverages its strength in arbitration, litigation, and insurance work to act for a wide range of aircraft and engine lessors on both contentious and non-contentious mandates. Seasoned litigator Saket Satapathy heads the team, which also includes commercial disputes expert Anubhav Dutta as well as Nimisha Shukla and Ishita Thakur, who act for Indian insurers and engine lessors in arbitrations.