The Union government proposes to wrap up the divestment of Air India by the middle of October with the announcement of winning bid for the national carrier.

As per details derived from the source, it says that tentatively October 15 has been kept the date for announcing the winning bid for Air India while the financial bids received for the carrier may be opened anytime this week. Centre on September 15 received multiple financial bids for divestment of Air India. Accordingly, Tata Sons and industrialist Ajay Singh in his personal capacity are believed to have submitted financial bids for Air India.

Sources indicated while Tatas are front runners to get hold of the carrier, all bids would be evaluated on various parameters and the winning bidder would be announced after approval of the group of ministers headed by the home minister.

Through a Twitter message, DIPAM Secretary, Tuhin Kanta Pandey had earlier said that the disinvestment process has moved to the concluding stage. "Financial bids for Air India disinvestment received by Transaction Adviser. The process now moves to the concluding stage," he had posted earlier this month.

The Tatas bid was much-anticipated as its name had been doing the rounds for some time now. The government has of late taken several steps to fast-track the much-delayed privatisation of the national carrier. Recently, the government decided to waive taxes on the transfer of assets from the national carrier to Air India Assets Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV).

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