Resume AI sale process: Govt must ease some onerous conditions for bidders

It was clear to everybody that some of the conditions mentioned in the PIM were a big put-off for any serious bidders

The Air India disinvestment fiasco is yet another example of how the government is out of touch with ground realities. That the process would be a failure was a foregone conclusion; it’s only the government officials who were in a state of denial. Even a day before the end of the deadline for the expression of interest from bidders, officials told the world at large that offers will “pour in” at the last hour. That bravado is still understandable, as no seller would like to be seen as throwing in the towel before the process was over, but the blame