Reports - Flemingo only eligible bidder in Indian tender

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Media reports suggest the company will open outlets at six Indian airports after the Airports Authority of India rejected financial bids from King Power (HK) and TrueBell Marketing.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has rejected financial bids from King Power (HK) and TrueBell Marketing ?on technical grounds?, according to a report on financial news service sify.com. Flemingo International was the only company to enter an eligible financial offer in the authority's recent round of tenders to operate duty-free at ten Indian airports, and will shortly open space totalling 3,000sq ft (279sq m) at facilities in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calicut, Goa and Ahmedabad, the report claimed.

The article ( click here) also suggested that AAI has launched new tenders for space at Delhi and Mumbai airports, which received no interest first time round, and that it received no eligible bids for space at Calcutta and Trichy airports.

Flemingo director Rasik Thakker told TRW that he had only heard of the victory through the same report, and could not confirm the company's success. However, he admitted that if true it would be a big win for the Dubai-based firm, which already has a strong base in India, with a local management team overseeing four general merchandise airport stores in the country. He said the stores were performing to expectations since their opening in late 2003, and that the company would take any opportunity to expand its business in the region.

Thakker added that he hoped for official confirmation within the week, and said that he had heard no official confirmation of the renewed tenders at Mumbai and Delhi, although Flemingo would be interested in the space if rental was less punitive than the initial terms.

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