A three-year interim duty free contract has been put out to bid at Delhi Airport with an award expected at the end of this month and a new operator expected to take the helm on

January 1 2007.
The incumbent operator, the India Tourism Development Corp (ITDC) has been told that it cannot bid for the contract unless it finds itself a strategic partner, a process that ITDC says is now underway. At the same time, Flemingo International has been told that it cannot bid although rumours in the marketplace have linked Flemingo to Aer Rianta International, although this has not been confirmed.
The deadline for submission of bids was last Monday, but India being India means that this might be extended if ITDC finds a partner quickly, although some believe it may have left it too late.
This ‘fast track’ bid gave interested parties just 18 days from the release of tender documents to submission and some companies have told The Business they are concerned that they will have only two months to set up shop and bring in stock before the commencement of the contract on January 1 2007.
The GMR-Fraport Consortium which won the contract to develop Delhi Airport has issued the interim duty free contract to bridge the gap between now and its ultimate goal of constructing a new integrated domestic and international terminal building at Delhi.
Meanwhile, there is a strong but unconfirmed rumour that the joint venture of Nuance and Shopper?s Stop Ltd has won the duty paid retail contract at Mumbai Airport.