"Air India is still in the debt of Rs 60,000 crore and it's liable to be sold," he said. (File photo)
Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday said that that the disinvestment process of Air India is getting delayed due to the second wave of the Covid pandemic and assured that the disinvestment process will happen this year.
"Air India is getting disinvested. It will take some time due to the pandemic. I want to assure you that it (AI Disinvestment) will happen this year," Mr Puri told news agency ANI.
The second wave of COVID-19 may slow down disinvestment process but he has assured that the disinvestment of Air India will be completed in 2021.
Earlier on March 27, 2021, Mr Puri had said that Air India would be brought under a private player in late May or June.
"At a meeting, it was decided that the government will close the financial bids within 64 days," Mr Puri told ANI
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, bidders are unable to travel for physical meetings and an important formality that will have to be done before AI privatised.
"Air India is still in the debt of Rs 60,000 crore and it's liable to be sold," the minister said earlier.