Airports infrastructure in take-off mode with entry of Adani and Tata

It is the new kid on the block, the Adani group, that could face the most challenges

With nearly half the country’s airline passenger market under their control, south India-based GMR and GVK groups dominate the airport infrastructure business. The rest of it is shared between state-owned Airport Authority of India (AAI), the states and some private-public partnership projects. 

Over the past few months, this business has suddenly perked up with two significant new private players with very different strategies making their entry. First came the Adani group, which a few weeks ago emerged winners in the bidding for six airports that were put up for privatisation, leaving GMR and government-backed National Investment and Infrastructure Fund far