New Delhi: Ten leading Indian corporates and foreign investment and airport companies, including Reliance, Bharti and Videocon, today (July 20, 2004) entered the race for modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.

The issue has created a political turmoil with Left parties and trade unions opposing any move by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government to "privatise" these airports.

As many as 10 Expressions of Interest (EoI) were received by the Airports Authority of India for modernisation and restructuring of the two metro airports by the 17:00 hours IST deadline.

When contacted, major bidder Reliance Airport Developers refused to disclose who their partners are.

Telecom giant Bharti Enterprises Limited and Singapore's Changi Airport Managers and Partners (CHAMPS) had submitted their bid yesterday after forming a joint venture.

Videocon chief V N Dhoot told from Mumbai on phone that his company had collaborated with Australia's MYPH Corporation, which manages the Sydney airport, to bid jointly for modernisation of these airports. The UK Infrastructure Ltd would be their construction advisor for the project that could "require Rs 1,000 crore and can go up to Rs 3,000 crore".

Among the other bidders are four consortia -- Larsen and Toubro and Piramal, Fraport and GMR (which is developing Bangalore Airport), GVK (developing Hyderabad airport) and Airports Company of South Africa and Essel and Tepe-Afken-Vie Gulf (a Turkish-Austrian consortium). Besides, Australian investment bank Macquaire Bank, D S Construction Ltd and DLF are also in the race, but their partners are not yet known.