Second time unlucky: Taj Mansingh hotel auction draws just two bids

Indian Hotels, the current operator, and ITC submit technical bids

The road to auction of Delhi’s iconic five-star hotel Taj Mahal (popularly known as Taj Mansingh after the road on which it is located) seems unending for the capital’s civic body, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The council's second attempt to auction the property a month after the one first failed, has attracted only two bids, one less than the minimum three required to take the auction process ahead. Apart from Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), which is the current operator, tobacco-to-FMCG conglomerate ITC is learnt to have submitted bids on Monday.

As per the tender conditions, NDMC would have