Beleaguered Kingfisher Airlines has grounded 15 planes in its fleet as it battles a prolonged cash crunch, a company executive told Reuters, as banks continue efforts to prop up the airline, which until recently was India's second-largest.

A Kingfisher executive, who declined to be identified, told Reuters the airline had grounded 15 of its planes but did not say how long they had been grounded or why.

The executive was speaking after a financial daily reported that Kingfisher had grounded some of its Airbus planes after it was unable to meet maintenance and overhaul expenses.

Kingfisher, controlled by flamboyant liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya, has been seeking additional working capital from its lenders.

The chairman of State Bank of India, which heads the consortium of Kingfisher's lenders, on Monday said banks are trying to help.

"We are trying to help Kingfisher," State Bank of India Chairman Pratip Choudhuri told Reuters on Monday.

Asked if banks were open to lending more funds to the cash-starved airline, he said, "everything is on the table".

Indian conglomerate Sahara, meanwhile, plans to lend Kingfisher more than Rs 250 crore, another mainstream daily reported on Saturday, citing sources.

A Sahara source who declined to be identified told Reuters on Monday that the group was planning to lend to the carrier at least that amount but did not give further details.

A Sahara spokesman declined to comment.

Kingfisher shares rose more than 2% and into positive territory after the SBI chairman's comments. They were up 0.69% at 21.85 rupees in a weak Mumbai market as of late morning.

Its share price has fallen 67% since the start of the year, cutting its market value to about $202 million.

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