NEW DELHI: A group of ministers (GoM), headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is likely to meet on September 19 to decide on the contours of disinvestment of Air India.
A review meeting on the disinvestment of the national carrier will also be held at the finance ministry on Wednesday.
Officials claimed that this time a few terms and conditions will be diluted to attract investors and control of the airline may be up for grabs.
On earlier occasions, the Civil Aviation Ministry had suggested that the government should not be in the business of running an airline.
Sources said the review meeting will deliberate on the financial situation, including debt and assets of the airline.
Fixing the eligibility criteria to attract investors, managing of mammoth Rs 56,000 crore debt, employees’ concerns are some of the issues to be discussed at the GoM meeting scheduled for Thursday.
A senior official said that many potential investors have shown interest in buying the national carrier also known as the ‘Maharaja’.
Besides Shah, the panel comprises Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Commerce and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as members.
The Centre’s efforts to sell the airline have failed in the last few years due to adverse operating environment with global crude prices rising and rupee weakening against the dollar.