The aircraft was the first jetliner inducted into the fleet of an Asian airline.

On 21 June 1982, Air India Flight 403, a Boeing 707-437 named Gauri Shankar, arriving from Kuala Lumpur International Airport via Madras (now Chennai), crashed after a hard landing during a rainstorm.

[2][3] An Indian public inquiry determined the probable cause of the accident to be "Deliberate reduction of engine power by the pilot 12 seconds prior to first impact due to altitude unawareness resulting in a high rate of descent, very heavy landing and the undershooting of the aircraft by 1300 feet.

"[4] The aircraft involved was a Boeing 707-437 that was registered as VT-DJJ and was named Gauri Shankar.

It was manufactered by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1960 and was powered by four Rolls-Royce Conway 508 engines.