India presses on with privatisation

John Rimmer

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Sources indicate that the Indian government has approved the privatisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports despite unrest among workers

The Indian government has approved bids to take over the management of Delhi and Mumbai airports despite bitter opposition from workers. As reported on RavenFox.com on January 31, a consortium comprising Fraport, GMR Group and Malaysia Airports has secured a 30-year contract to run Delhi airport, while construction company GVK and partner Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) will take over at Mumbai.

The privatisation process has led to strikes by over 20,000 workers across Airports Authority of India's network, but reliable sources told RavenFox.com that the action was unlikely to halt the government's drive to attract private investment.

A source at ACSA told RavenFox.com that the company was awaiting full confirmation from the Indian government before revealing details of its plans at Mumbai. Meanwhile Fraport has said that the Delhi consortium will seek to employ partner Malaysia Airports' "retail expertise" at the Indian capital. Click here for more details.