He said, "We had a meeting and we went through all issues. Many issues were clarified subsequent to that, and we will soon be having another meeting, where we will be providing further details and making sure that all systems are go (ready) for the roll-out."

When asked to share his thoughts on the possible sale of the revenue-guzzling Maharajah (Air India), he suggested that the cabinet was empowered to make a decision on either a stake sale or privatisation. Sinha went on to hint that the cabinet may soon formally meet to decide the fate of the debt-ridden national carrier, although he did not divulge the exact date.

Full Coverage: All the latest news, views and FAQs on GST

Earlier in the day, the minister had concurred that Udan (Ude Desh kaa Aam Nagrik), the regional connectivity plan and Digi-Yatra could be potential gamechangers. He also touched upon the issues of providing a unified security and seamless travel experience.

Passenger traffic in India is anticipated to triple and hence 150-200 operational airports is a need of the hour, he observed. "There have been various estimates on the investments required to build all these new airports. But, over the next 10-15 years, 2-3 lakh crore is going to be required to build these airports and add airport capacity," the minister said.

Sinha further explained the expenditure involved building runways, terminals and so on. It does not include cost of land, and necessary regional connectivity required to build a largescale airport.

The investments would be driven largely on a PPP (Public Private Partnership) model, and he conceded, "It's important for us to ensure that our tariff structures and regulations are world-class and attractive for investors, as well as keeping in mind the affordability for passengers."