Government must resist distress sale of Air India: Sources

The airline's current market value could be much higher than Rs 40,000 crore

Air India's tangible and intangible assets can well match its over Rs 52,000 crore debt burden and the government should resist a distress sale of the carrier, according to sources at the airline.

As calls for divestment, including privatisation, of the loss-making Air India get louder, the civil aviation ministry is looking at all options for the airline's revival.

The state-owned air carrier is estimated to have debt of over Rs 52,000 crore. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said last week that the ministry has to explore all possibilities "as to how the privatisation of Air India can be done". The comments came