Arvind Panagariya sees action on privatising Air India in 6 months

The Indian govt is expected to take some action on privatising Air India in next 6 months, a top govt policy adviser told television channel CNBC Thursday. The comment from Arvind Panagariya, deputy head of policy think-tank Niti Aayog, comes amid reports that India's salt-to-software Tata conglomerate has shown an interest in buying a majority stake in the loss-making carrier. "Something should be happening this year," Panagariya said in response to a question on timeline for the carrier's privatisation. Prime minister Narendra Modi's administration has been exploring ways to privatise Air India, which was bailed out in 2012 with US$5.8b of federal funding. <br/>