: In a significant development ahead of the move by Malaysia-based airline AirAsia to launch an airline in India in joint venture with Tata Sons, Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, on Friday met civil aviation minister Ajit Singh at his residence here.
Sources in the government described the meeting as a courtesy call.
Speculation, however, was rife that the proposed launch of the new airline could have been discussed at the meeting although an official insisted that no discussions on that subject took place.
AirAsia, a Malaysia based low cost carrier had recently announced that it had decided to enter into a joint venture with Tata Sons to start a new airline in India and has applied for permission from the government.
AirAsia has already submitted an application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on the proposed joint venture and the FIPB has already sought the reaction of the civil aviation ministry.The ministry is understood to be preparing its reply on the matter after weighing all aspects. A meeting on the issue is expected to take place next week.
This would be second attempt by the Tata Group to enter into the Indian aviation, after Tata Airlines (the current Air India) — India’s first airline — was nationalised. Delivering a lecture in 2010, Mr Tata had said that he had to give up his dream of launching an airline as he was not comfortable bribing a minister, as had been suggested by an industrialist.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130302/news-businesstech/article/tata-meets-ajit-denies-jv-talks
Sources in the government described the meeting as a courtesy call.
Speculation, however, was rife that the proposed launch of the new airline could have been discussed at the meeting although an official insisted that no discussions on that subject took place.
AirAsia, a Malaysia based low cost carrier had recently announced that it had decided to enter into a joint venture with Tata Sons to start a new airline in India and has applied for permission from the government.
AirAsia has already submitted an application to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on the proposed joint venture and the FIPB has already sought the reaction of the civil aviation ministry.The ministry is understood to be preparing its reply on the matter after weighing all aspects. A meeting on the issue is expected to take place next week.
This would be second attempt by the Tata Group to enter into the Indian aviation, after Tata Airlines (the current Air India) — India’s first airline — was nationalised. Delivering a lecture in 2010, Mr Tata had said that he had to give up his dream of launching an airline as he was not comfortable bribing a minister, as had been suggested by an industrialist.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130302/news-businesstech/article/tata-meets-ajit-denies-jv-talks
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