Calcutta, July 28: GMR Infrastructure, the company which won the Delhi airport privatisation bid, is keen to participate in airport development projects in Calcutta.

The company is interested in bidding to modernise either the Subhas Chandra Bose Airport, or develop a new one if it comes up.

The Centre had privatised both Delhi and Mumbai airports amidst protests from government employees and Left parties earlier this year.

Calcutta and Chennai are next on the list for modernisation along with 34 other non-metro airports.

The privatisation model followed in Delhi and Mumbai may not be repeated in Calcutta following objections raised by the Left.

G.V.N. Rao, director of GMR Infrastructure, said the company would definitely bid for both the projects when they come up.

“We are studying various aspects of the Calcutta airport from the data made available by the Airports Authority of India,” he said.

While the Centre is mulling different models to modernise the Calcutta airport considering necessities that might arise in the future, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee wants a new airport to be developed.

The state government is reportedly in touch with Anil Ambani ? who lost out in the Delhi privatisation bid and moved court thereafter challenging the government’s decision ? to build the new airport.

GMR, however, is yet to open dialogue with the Bengal government.

The company, which is setting up a new airport in Hyderabad, said a greenfield facility would require around 4,000-5,000 acres.

According to established practices, the state has to first identify the land, which will then be vetted by the director-general of civil aviation and defence. The Centre will then accord an in-principle grant for the new airport and a lead agency has to be identified to manage the bid process.

The Bengal government has yet to identify the land and inform the DGCA.

Power play

GMR, along with KEC International, will bid for two power transmission projects worth Rs 300 crore each in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The company is also setting up a 1,000-mw power plant in Orissa for Rs 5,000 crore.

It has also bid for an ultra-mega power project in partnership with a Chinese company.