Even in deregulated market, govt must step in to encourage service providers: Puri

To encourage service providers, the government needs to step in even in a deregulated market environment, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.

"Even in a deregulated environment the government needs to step in to encourage the service providers to rationalise this," Puri said at the curtain raiser event for the upcoming aviation exhibition WINGS India 2020 to be held in Hyderabad.

"It is not the government's job but it's in everybody's interest that we don't have a situation where we resort to practices which are restricted or involve predatory pricing resulting in overall undermining of the sector," he added.

Speaking of privatisation in the civil aviation industry, the minister said it will help in strengthening and expanding the sector.

"This sector provides opportunities for not just players within the country but outside. We are currently in the process of a privatisation programme for our flight carriers.

"Privatisation will strengthen the aviation .