Eighteen years on and Tata is still trying to start an airline.
Attempt Number 1
In 1995, they had applied for a full service airline, which was cleared a year later but the venture never took off due to a change in the civil aviation policy in 1997 that barred foreign carriers from holding stake in domestic airlines.
Lot of people cited this a Jet Airway's victory!
The deal did not come through and years the Tata's had famously remarked that that the deal failed because the group refused to bribe!
Attempt number 2
In 2000, Tatas and Singapore Airlines had jointly bid for the 40 per cent divestment of Air India. Come BJP led alliance and this was canned.
Attempt Number 3
As much as I hope for them to start (attempt number 3), I am really not sure if this is going to...
With this, the FIPB although having approved AA there are some quarters in the ministry objection to the fact the controlling stake holder isn't Indian.
With tata's being the single controlling stake holder perhaps, just perhaps this is going to be easier.
Having said that, I am still is little skeptical on them starting at all.
Last edited by VijayMallya; 19th Sep 2013 at 17:11.