Jet Airways, SpiceJet also may bid for debt-ridden Air India

News Network
November 30, 2017

Jet Airways and SpiceJet, the two leading private airlines of India, are likely to join the race to bid for debt-ridden Air India, along with Tata Group and IndiGo.

A top government source: "The economics of the game will change completely for whichever airline gets Air India. With its 14% domestic and 17-18% international market share, getting AI will be a paradigm shift for the successful bidder. Other airlines like Jet and possibly even SpiceJet will have no option but to bid for AI".

However, a SpiceJet official said that the airline is "too small" to bid for AI. Decision will be taken on the bidding once the terms are known, the official added. A top Jet honcho acknowledged to the newspaper that the thinking is on.

Jet Airways on Wednesday announced a major partnership with Air France, KLM and Delta and could get their backing to take over Air India. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is also a 24 percent stakeholder in Jet.

IndiGo and Tata Group's interest

In July, IndiGo had openly expressed interest in buying the ailing national carrier's international routes and the Air India Express arm.

In a conference call, IndiGo's management had said that they do not have a desire to take all of Air India's debt and that acquiring all of Air India's subsidiaries is an "impossible task".

Earlier in June, Tata Group chairman N Chandrasekaran had informal talks with the government. Media reports also suggested that the Tatas could get Singapore Airlines on board for a minority stake. Tata Group currently operates two airlines in the country, AirAsia India (a joint venture with Malaysia's Air Asia) and Vistara (joint venture with Singapore Airlines).

The divestment process

The Union Cabinet on June 28 had given an in-principle approval for disinvestment of debt-laden state-run carrier Air India.

Stretched thin by competition from leaner and budget airlines, Air India is reeling under a debt of over Rs 52,000 crore, with about Rs 28,000 crore in working capital debt and about Rs 4,000 crore in interest burden alone. The national carrier has not turned profit in 10 years.

On August 8, the parliamentary panel set up to the divestment process heard views of various stakeholders on the disinvestment of national carrier Air India and Pawan Hans Ltd. The government is yet to announce the final terms for sale of AI.

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News Network
February 9,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 9: Six persons, including three Nigerian nationals, have been arrested for their involvement in a fake kidney racket, through which they duped over 300 people, police said on Sunday.

The case was cracked by a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by Banasawadi, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Raviprasad. These people had duped scores of people, by misusing the name of a well known hospital located in Bengaluru.

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News Network
July 8,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 8: In a setback to the State government, the Karnataka High Court on Wednesday stayed the initial ban and the subsequent restrictions imposed on schools against conducting online classes from pre-primary to Class X.

Prima facie the ban and embargo imposed on online education violate Articles 21 and 21A of the Constitutionon the fundamental right to education, the Court said.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Nataraj Rangaswamy passed the interim order staying the operation of Government Orders issued on June 15 and June 27 respectively.

The Bench passed the interim order on the petitions filed by parents of children and several educational institutions questioning the legality of the ban and the restrictions imposed.

However, the Bench made it clear that this order should not be construed that the schools have right to make online education compulsory and can charge fee for offering online education. Also, the schools should not deprive students, who cannot opt for online education, the lost education when the schools reopen on regular basis.

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News Network
March 5,2020

Kalaburagi, Mar 5: Kalaburagi Police has issued a second notice to AIMIM leader Waris Pathan, for his controversial remark, directing him to appear before the Investigation Officer on March 8 and give his statement.

Earlier, Kalaburagi Police Commissioner MM Nagaraj said that the police had served notice to Pathan and asked him to appear on February 29 before Investigation Officer.

On February 20, while addressing an anti-CAA rally at Kalaburagi, Pathan had said, "time has now come for us to unite and achieve freedom. Remember we are 15 crore but can dominate over 100 crores."

However, Pathan later took back his words and had said he had not targeted any community but had spoken against members of some organisations.

"If any of my words have hurt someone, I take them back as I am a true Indian," he had said.

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