Air India is just the start of Centre's privatisation woes

Out of nearly 30 public sector undertakings and assets under 'strategic sale' plan, only the ONGC-HPCL plan has been completed

It is not just Air India privatisation where the government is struggling. Of the approximately 30 state-owned companies, subsidiaries and standalone assets for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet has given approval for “strategic disinvestment”, only one has reached fruition — that of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’s (HPCL’s) acquisition by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in 2017-18.

The Centre is facing headwinds with almost all other proposals due to lack of interest not just among potential private sector buyers but also among larger public sector enterprises which could buy smaller similarly-placed public sector undertakings (PSUs).

If the government cannot complete