Govt to decide on aviation FDI soon

New Delhi: Moving ahead with its proposal to provide relief to the cash-strapped aviation industry, the government today said it will "very soon" take a call on allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in Indian carriers.

"This has been discussed with the finance minister, the civil aviation minister and myself and an appropriate view and decision will be taken very soon," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of Hero Mindmine Summit in New Delhi.[caption id="attachment_267780" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Waiting for foreign money. Reuters"][/caption]

In his budget speech, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said a proposal to allow foreign airlines to participate up to 49 percent in domestic carriers is under active consideration of the government.

At present, FDI up to 49 percent is permitted in the airline sector in India, but foreign carriers are not allowed to buy stake due to security reasons.

India's financially troubled civil aviation sector grew at 18.5 percent in the last seven years and the government has taken various steps to resolve the woes faced by airline industry, the Economic Survey for 2011-12 had said.

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Looking into the demands of the cash-strapped aviation industry, the government had on 17 January decided to launch the process to allow foreign airlines 49 percent stake in Indian carriers.

This was decided at a meeting between Mukherjee and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh. The civil aviation ministry thereafter circulated a Cabinet note on the matter.

Allowing foreign airlines to pick up stake in Indian carriers would mark a major policy shift.

PTI