Adani Enterprises plans to invest around Rs 1 trillion, or about $11 billion, in its airports infrastructure business over the next five years as it looks to significantly expand its footprint across India. Jeet Adani, Director at Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), said the group will bid for all 11 airports that the central government plans to lease out to private operators as part of its broader airport privatisation programme. India is accelerating airport privatisation in line with its long-term goal of expanding the country’s airport network to 350–400 facilities by 2047, up from the current 163. As part of this push, the government plans to lease out 11 airports, including key locations such as Amritsar and Varanasi. “We will be bidding for all of them,” Jeet Adani said, underlining the group’s aggressive expansion strategy. Adani Airports currently operates seven airports, including Mumbai and Ahmedabad, making it the largest airport operator in India by number of facilities. The planned Rs 1 trillion investment will be deployed across terminals, runways, aircraft-handling infrastructure and passenger amenities, with the bulk of the capital expenditure spread over the next five years. Jeet Adani said the focus remains firmly on airport infrastructure, while ruling out any plans to enter the airline business, a segment currently dominated by IndiGo and Air India. On funding, Jeet Adani did not provide specific details but confirmed that Adani Airports is preparing for an initial public offering by the financial year ending March 2028. He said a demerger from flagship Adani Enterprises would be the preferred route, as it could unlock greater value for existing shareholders, while adding that the option of bringing in strategic investors remains open, although no formal discussions have taken place so far. A central pillar of the group’s growth strategy is the Navi Mumbai International Airport, which is scheduled to begin commercial operations on December 25. The first phase of the project involves an investment of around Rs 200 billion, with the second phase expected to require an additional Rs 300 billion. By 2030, the airport is planned to feature a Rs 50 billion Aero City, comprising hotels, premium and budget dining options, and advanced passenger facilities such as a baggage-tracing system. Jeet Adani said the timing of the IPO will be linked to three milestones: stable operations at Navi Mumbai airport, completion of surrounding commercial development, and the business achieving financial self-sustainability. While AAHL is currently EBITDA positive, it is yet to turn cash-flow positive and expects to reach that stage within the next three years. Beyond airport operations, the Adani Group is also looking to expand into aviation services by bidding for state-owned engineering services firms. The aim is to capture higher-value activities such as heavy maintenance and engine overhaul work, which are currently largely outsourced overseas. According to Jeet Adani, India currently undertakes only basic line maintenance, while more complex and profitable segments of aircraft servicing continue to flow out of the country.