Centre considering recasting Air India debt: civil aviation minister

Air India, which has been posting losses for years now, has a debt of around Rs 46,000 crore

GN Bureau | December 19, 2016


#debt   #Air India   #PSU   #ministry of civil aviation  

“There is an idea circulating that Air India will do better if its debt is restructured,” union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju told Hindu BusinessLine.

The minister, however, also stressed the need to evolve a consensus on the matter within his own ministry. “Once you convince yourself, it is easier to convince the others”.

Air India has been posting losses for years now and has a debt of around Rs 46,000 crore.
Raju said: “I am not someone who will indulge in ‘Air India-bashing’, but neither am I going to commit the taxpayers’ money for eternity.” He said the central government was willing to help the airline “pull up its socks as they have done India proud on several occasions”.

The minister added that though debt restructuring will throw the national carrier a lifeline, the ministry has to discuss the benefits of such a move.

“We have to discuss the pros and cons and everyone has to be make-up their mind. Within ourselves, we are not democratic. Just because you have the power to overrule does not mean we should use that power. No one is ‘Mr-Know-it-all’. We have to take all their suggestions,” he was quoted as saying.

Raju said the central government is willing to talk to players who may be interested in picking up a stake in Air India.

He noted that the government was willing to help private airlines too, albeit with policy benefits, but they will have to get their economics right. “We did some hand-holding for SpiceJet, and because of that, we were able to save about 5,000 jobs. SpiceJet too has recovered well now,” he said.

 

Comments

 

Other News

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said.   He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter