Task Force provides blue-print for expansion and modernisation of airports across India

India's Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, while addressing the Conference of State Aviation Ministers and Secretaries of the State Governments, stated (10-Sep-2013) an Inter-Ministerial Task Force was constituted by the Planning Commission to prepare a financing plan for the 12th Plan period. The Task Force has provided a blue-print for expansion and modernisation of airports across the country, especially with private participation and recommended the development, operation and management of several airports through Public-Private Partnership (PPP). In line with the recommendation of the Task Force, Government of India has decided, in principle, to operate, manage and develop 20 airports of Airports Authority of India under PPP which include Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Trichy, Varanasi, Indore, Amritsar, Udaipur, Gaya, Raipur, Bhopal, Agartala, Imphal, Mangalore and Vadodara. RFQs for Chennai and Lucknow airports have already been uploaded and RFQs for another four airports are in the process. Further, Government of India is in the process of identifying 50 low cost small airports for their development in collaboration with state governments through feasibility studies to be carried out by Airports Authority of India.