The government has initiated the process of privatising two subsidiaries— AIASL and AIESL — of erstwhile national carrier Air India, an official said.

“The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (Dipam) has initiated investor meetings and roadshows to gauge interest in AIASL and AIESL. We will soon invite EoIs from interested bidders,” the official said.

A debt-laden Air India was sold to Tata Group in October last year for Rs 18,000 crore.

The actual handover to the Tatas happened on January 27. However, four Air India subsidiaries — Air India Airport Services Ltd (AIASL), AirIndia Engineering Services Ltd (AIESL), Alliance Air Aviation Ltd (AAAL), and Hotel Corporation of India Ltd (HCI)— were not part of the deal.

Other non-core assets such as paintings and artefacts and non-operational assets were kept out of the Tata deal.

These subsidiaries and non-core assets valued at about Rs 15,000 crore have been transferred to an SPV —Air India Assets Holding Ltd.

The government had said these subsidiaries and noncore assets of the carrier would eventually be sold off.