The Air India Disinvestment Saga: A Primer

On September 15, Tata Sons and SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh officially submitted their final bid to buy India's flag carrier Air India, raising hopes that the disinvestment process of the loss-making airline will be completed in this financial year. Besides 100 per cent of its stake in the state-owned national airline, the potential buyer will get Air India's 100 per cent of AI Express - a low-cost airline - and 50 percent of Air India SATS Airport Services. The idea of government selling its stakes in Air India - The flying 'maharajah' which was once among Asia's top-most airlines - is not of recent origin.