Qualified bidders for Air India to be informed by January 5, 2021

The government will intimate qualified interested bidders for debt-laden Air India by January 5, 2021 instead of December 29, 2020, as interested parties have been allowed to submit physical bids within 15 days from the expression of interest (EoI) deadline of December 14, 2020. The government has allowed potential suitors to bid for Air India on its enterprise value on the condition that of the total bid amount, about 15 per cent would be given to the government as the price for the airline and the remaining 85 per cent will be debt that the winning bidder will take. The changes have been made due to the uncertain environment caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the Tata Group has reportedly started negotiations with Singapore Airlines, its joint venture partner in Vistara, to abandon a non-compete clause and join it in a proposed bid for Air India. Further, Air India’s employees are also planning to jointly bid for a managing stake in the airline.