India Aims to Raise $81 Billion by Leasing Out Infra Assets
- Private operators are required to return assets to state
- Move is positive in terms of fiscal dynamics, says economist
An excavator near India Gate in New Delhi.
Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
India plans to raise 6 trillion rupees ($81 billion) by leasing out state-owned infrastructure assets over the next four years to fund new capital expenditure without pressuring government finances.
The proposal involves handing assets including roads, railways, airports, sports stadiums, power transmission lines and gas pipelines to private operators, according to a National Monetization Pipeline document unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on Monday.