Tata Group-owned Air India has informed the Centre that aircraft lessors wish to set up their special purpose vehicles (SPVs) outside India since they aren't enthused about the Indian 'legal structure' and are loath to take risks. Indian airlines have a combined fleet of about 700 planes; over 85 per cent are on lease. A majority of lessors are based in Ireland due to its attractive tax policy, light-touch regulations, and swift legal system.
The proposal, in preliminary stages, is likely to be finalised within a couple of months.
With development of the Vadhavan port, India will break into the countries with top 10 container ports in the world.
National Aluminium Company (Nalco) has chalked out plans to enter the power business through the special purpose vehicle (SPV) route. The company plans to produce over 2000 MW by 2016.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) are in talks for a partnership to run private trains. According to officials in the know, the two public sector undertakings (PSUs) are planning to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to run passenger trains on routes for which IRCTC has put in bids. "BHEL will be putting in the money required for private rail service, while IRCTC is going to focus on operational requirements," an official said. "IRCTC's business model has not been capital expenditure-focussed. It has built only operational enhancements," he added. Bids for public private partnerships (PPPs) in passenger train operations were opened last month.
'Many of the challenges of investing in commercial real estate get taken care of when an investor takes the Reit route,' points out Suraj Nangia.
State-run Gail (India) Ltd on Friday approved Rs 500 crore (Rs 5 billion) investment in Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd, the special purpose vehicle created to restart Dabhol power plant in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
Firms are still barred from holding board positions in the special purpose vehicle that will develop the airport.
IFC will act as a transaction advisor for the projects to be developed in the public-private partnership mode.
Indian firms, including Tata Steel, in the past have formed SPVs to acquire foreign companies to protect local operations and also to avoid legal hindrances. The SPV may be registered in a tax-haven country, like Mauritius or Bahamas, the sources said. The move to float an SPV will help Bharti Airtel to continue being listed on Indian stock exchanges, while MTN's promoters will be given a stake in the SPV.
India's largest public sector bank State Bank of India (SBI) will support Tata group's bid for soon-to-be-privatised Air India by subscribing to Tata Sons debentures or funding the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by Tata Sons for the acquisition. Bankers said the credit rating of Tata group's holding company is "AAA" signifying high safety and a combination of Air India with its existing airline businesses would make it a formidable player - leading to a duopoly market with IndiGo. It would also open many business opportunities, including in the retail segment, an official said.
Airline told to transfer non-core assets, subsidiaries to special purpose vehicle
The government has notified the agreement between Air India and special purpose vehicle AIAHL for the transfer of non-core assets, ahead of the national airline's takeover by the Tata Group. The government had in October last year, inked the share purchase agreement with the Tata Group for the sale of national carrier Air India for Rs 18,000 crore. The Tata Group is expected to take full control of the airline, it founded in 1932, on Thursday. The cash component of the deal would come once the handover process is completed. The Tata Group would pay Rs 2,700 crore cash and take over Rs 15,300 crore of the airline's debt.
The Kerala high court on Monday dismissed petitions filed by Kerala government and others challenging the Centre's decision to lease Thiruvananthapuram international airport to Adani Enterprises.
The state-owned airport authority is conducting a techno-feasibility study.
The government will transfer about Rs 16,000 crore of unpaid fuel bills and other pending dues that Air India owes to suppliers, to a special purpose vehicle before handing over the loss-making airline to the Tata Group, a senior official said. Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL), which will hold non-core assets of Air India such as land and building, will also be saddled with 75 per cent of the airline's debt that the Tata Group is not taking over. Besides the debt, the excess liability going to AIAHL comprises unpaid fuel bills to oil companies, airport operators and vendors, said Tuhin Kanta Pandey, Secretary to the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management - the department running the privatisation programme of the government.
The BJP accused the Congress leader of playing politics in the matter.
To sell off L&T IDPL, Nabha Power; transfer Hyderabad Metro to an InvIT.
The government has merged the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) with the finance ministry to give it a better control over state-owned firms and facilitate its ambitious privatisation programme. Finance ministry will now have six departments while DPE's hereto parent ministry, the ministry of heavy industries and public enterprises will now be called the ministry of heavy industries. Previously, the disinvestment ministry - created under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government - was merged with the finance ministry and is now a department under it. Also, Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) was abolished and administration of foreign investments was given to the finance ministry (FinMin).
A rail link is proposed to carry passengers from Bangalore's centre to the new international airport. The Karnataka govt. has formed a SPV for this project.
Lukewarm response from private investors and turf battles between government agencies have resulted in delaying Modi's ambitions. Sahil Makkar reports.
To redevelop cities as 'smart', investment of at least $10 billion is required. For 100 cities, it works out to $1 trillion
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is determined to implement the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project despite the Centre's indifference.
Probable reasons that led to failure of the sale process include 24 per cent government stake and corresponding rights, high debt, volatile crude oil prices, fluctuations in exchange rate, changes in macro environment, profitability track record of bidders and restriction on bidding by individuals.
After its unsuccessful bid to sell Air India in 2018, the government this time has decided to offload its entire stake.
The proposed tax exemptions and benefits notwithstanding, these new investment instruments would still be 'revenue accretive' for the government in the form of additional taxes.
'It may sound like sacrilege, but does it really matter if the global raters downgrade India for fiscal slippage?' asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Parks would cut transport cost by 10% for industries, allow freight movement on larger trucks and rail.
D B Realty's share price went up by nearly 10 per cent to close at Rs 125.20 on BSE.
Unlike the race to buy airwaves by telecom companies, airports by infrastructure companies and city gas networks by energy companies, the race to develop super apps by consumer-facing companies in India has not brushed up against any regulatory issues. Officials at the ministry of electronics and information technology and at other regulators are happy they do not have to meddle in who among the Tata group, Reliance Industries Ltd, Flipkart or Paytm will manage to build an app that sweeps in customers. Unlike separate apps a customer uses on her mobile to order groceries, buy food or airline tickets or just make payments, a super app can perform all these functions.
This is a third of Rs 33,992 crore debt that was to be passed on to the new owner during last year's failed divestment process.
To float SPV, levy user charge on consumers to cover investment cost.
Though the Railways is yet to declare any five-year action plan, it is clear the government is not in a position to hand-hold it for any major expansion or upgrade. The issue, however, is how far the Railways can function within the PPP format. Recent history highlights some of the challenges.
In a meeting with stakeholders last week, the authority mooted setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle along with airlines and state-owned oil marketing companies to develop common infrastructure to import ATF, among others, at Chennai and Kolkata airports. While AAI and OMCs will hold 76 per cent in the proposed SPV, the airlines will participate in the remaining 24 per cent equity.
Smart cities must be very well equipped with technology and security systems alike.
The bullet train is expected to cover 508 km between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in about two hours.
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