The Indian Supreme Court said on Monday it would begin hearing a complaint filed against the government's handling of airport privatization on July 18.

The complaint was filed by Anil Ambani's Reliance Airport Developers.

Modernization contracts for airports in Mumbai and New Delhi were awarded to two private groups in February, but a consortium led by Ambani, one of two brothers who run the Reliance companies, alleged irregularities after failing in the bidding process.

The legal move had been dismissed by a lower bench in April but on Monday the court accepted the Reliance petition.

The Delhi airport is being upgraded by a consortium led by the GMR group in collaboration with German airport operator Fraport, Eraman Malaysia, state-run Airports Authority of India and infrastructure firm IDFC.

The contract to revamp Mumbai - the busiest airport in the country - was won by a consortium led by GVK Industries and Airports Company of South Africa.

Both airports, which handled nearly half the estimated 50 million passengers who traveled by air in India last year, fall well below international standards.