India Approves Privatization of 11 Airports in 5 Bundles

The Indian government has received in-principle approval to privatize 11 airports across five bundles, a move expected to attract an investment of at least Rs 8,622 crore. The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) granted the approval at its meeting on August 4, 2026, for the third major round of airport privatization under the public-private partnership model.

Under the proposed model, airports will be grouped into pairs or larger bundles, with each bundle awarded to a single private concessionaire for a 50-year period. The five bundles are Amritsar and Kangra (Gaggal); Varanasi, Gaya, and Kushinagar; Bhubaneswar and Hubballi; Raipur and Aurangabad; and Tiruchirappalli and Tirupati. The bundling strategy aims to improve the financial viability of smaller airports by leveraging revenues and operational synergies from larger, more profitable hubs.

A key feature of the proposal is a cap on the number of bundles a single bidder can win. This measure is designed to mitigate risks arising from market concentration and potential overleveraging by private operators. The modalities of this cap are still being finalized and will be incorporated into the proposal for the...