NEW DELHI: The government denied media reports on Friday claiming that Tata Sons won the bid to acquire the debt-laden airline Air India.
It is said that the offers will be evaluated and the decision is still pending.
“Media reports pointing to the Indian government’s approval of financial offers in the case of the disinvestment of AI are false. The media will be informed of the government’s decision as soon as it is made, ”the Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) clarified on Twitter.

Previously, Bloomberg reported that Tatas was selected as the winner for Air India by the government body.
The Tata Group was one of several companies that submitted an initial expression of interest in purchasing the Maharaja in December 2020. SpiceJet founder Ajay Singh was one of the bidders.
Air India has made losses since its merger with domestic airline Indian Airlines in 2007.
Several governments tried to sell the airline, which was founded as Tata Airlines in 1932, but these attempts met either political opposition or a lack of interest from potential buyers.
The airline was founded by the legendary industrialist and philanthropist JRD Tata, India’s first licensed pilot.
It originally flew between Karachi in the then undivided British-ruled India and Bombay, now known as Mumbai, in the 1930s.
When it went commercial and went public in the 1940s, Air India quickly became popular with those who could afford to take to the skies.
However, with the advent of private airlines in the 1990s and a rush of no-frills low-cost airlines in the mid-2000s, Air India lost its lead in both the domestic and international markets.
Suddenly, going overseas wasn’t the only option, and his reputation for impeccable service and hospitality began to fade.
Losses began to surge after the merger with the state-owned domestic airline Indian Airlines in 2007, and in 2013 the country’s then civil aviation minister said privatization was key to survival.
(With inputs from Bloomberg, other agencies)