New Delhi: State Bank of India (SBI), the largest lender to cash-strapped Jet Airways (India) Ltd, has asked the airline’s chairman Naresh Goyal, his wife and two other nominee directors to step down immediately, even as the bank said it was in the interest of lenders to revive the distressed carrier. SBI has asked Goyal, his wife Anita, and two nominee directors, Nasim Zaidi and Gaurang Shetty, to step down from the board as well as executive roles, a person aware of the development said on condition of anonymity.
In New Delhi, after a meeting with finance minister Arun Jaitley, SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar said that lenders to Jet Airways would make every effort to keep the airline from slipping into bankruptcy as it would further erode the company’s value.
SBI’s commitment to the revival of Jet Airways comes a day after the government took stock of the airline’s operations and advised it to take care of customers affected by flight cancellations.