Wanted to set up airline, minister asked for crores as bribe: Ratan Tata

Dehra Dun:  Rata Tata has disclosed that a minister asked his company for a bribe of 15 crores when he was trying to set up a domestic airline in the mid-1990s.

Tata did not name the minister and said the incident took place "10-12 years ago."  He also said that he hopes the matter is not taken up for investigation now because "it could cast shadows on the wrong person."

In the mid-90s, the Tatas tried to set up a domestic airline in collaboration with Singapore Airlines.

Explaining what happened, Tata said, "We approached three Prime Ministers also. But an individual thwarted our efforts to form the airlines."

Tata said he was on a flight and "another industrialist who was sitting next to me said 'I don't understand... you people are very stupid... you know the minister wants 15 crores... why don't you pay it?'  And I just said 'You can't understand it... I just want to go to bed at night... knowing that I haven't got the airline by paying for it.' And I can tell you I would have been feeling tremendously shameful had we got the airline and we had paid for it."

He also stressed that he has not changed his mind about retiring in 2012 as Chairman of the Tata Group.