India's southern Karnataka state Tuesday gave the green light for a consortium led by Germany's Siemens to build the country's first private airport in the hi-tech hub of Bangalore. Dharam Singh, the chief minister of Karnataka state, of which Bangalore is the capital, said the state cabinet met on Tuesday and "unanimously decided to clear the project."
Work on the 274-million-dollar project had begun in 2003 but hit a hurdle this year after a change in the parties leading the provincial government.
The state is ruled by a coalition government of the Congress Party and centrist Janata Dal (People's Party).
The Siemens-led consortium, which includes Zurich Airport Authority and India's construction firm Larsen and Tubro, holds a 74 percent stake in the airport.
The Airports Authority of India and the state government each hold a 13 percent stake.
Earlier the project ran into rough weather when the authority ruled a private company could not build an airport. That decision was later reversed.