The prospective buyer of Air India will not get the treasure trove of iconic paintings and artefacts collected by the national carrier over the years that include priceless creations by masters such as F N Souza, M F Hussain, V S Gaitonde, Anjolie Ela Menon among others.
The value of the coveted collection – that includes paintings, sculptures, wooden carvings, glass paintings and rare textiles – runs into hundreds of crores.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri, on Monday, announced that paintings, arts and artefacts will not be part of the transaction of the proposed sale of the airline.
The Civil Aviation Ministry and the Culture Ministry had joined hands to inventorise the collection and the National Gallery of Modern Art may be its final home.
