New Delhi: Internal communications among top executives of AirAsia and AirAsia India stakeholder Tata Sons are key to the ongoing probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), according to people with knowledge of the matter. These allegedly refer to frequent contact and “pressure” on top government officials for obtaining clearances in 2013, they said.
Then finance secretary and Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) chairman Arvind Mayaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia are frequently mentioned, along with then civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, they added.
The frequency of the messages spiked at the end of 2013 when the airline was awaiting the critical No Objection Certificate (NoC). While the NoC was finally granted in September 2013, records available with the CBI show that in July-August, notes were allegedly exchanged between Tata executive R Venkataramanan and AirAsia management in Singapore on “putting pressure” on Mayaram.
In another message, Ahluwalia is mentioned as someone who had been approached in order to supposedly influence chief ministers who could, in turn, add their weight to the lobbying effort. Mayaram said the FIPB clearances for AirAsia were in line with rules. “The policy allowed up to 49% foreign investment into companies that were operating scheduled airlines. There was no discrimination against anyone.
There was no point of pressure as things were done as per the policy,” he told ET. “There was no influence — no one ever told me that you should do this or that this has to be done,” the retired bureaucrat said. As for meeting executives of AirAsia and Tata Sons, Mayaram said he does not particularly recall any specific conversation, but added that he must have done so as part of his duties as finance secretary. “At that time (of clearance), the company did not exist in India. It was only after approval that the company was formed,” he said.
02/06/18 Manu Pubby/Economic Times
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Then finance secretary and Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) chairman Arvind Mayaram and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia are frequently mentioned, along with then civil aviation minister Ajit Singh, they added.
The frequency of the messages spiked at the end of 2013 when the airline was awaiting the critical No Objection Certificate (NoC). While the NoC was finally granted in September 2013, records available with the CBI show that in July-August, notes were allegedly exchanged between Tata executive R Venkataramanan and AirAsia management in Singapore on “putting pressure” on Mayaram.
In another message, Ahluwalia is mentioned as someone who had been approached in order to supposedly influence chief ministers who could, in turn, add their weight to the lobbying effort. Mayaram said the FIPB clearances for AirAsia were in line with rules. “The policy allowed up to 49% foreign investment into companies that were operating scheduled airlines. There was no discrimination against anyone.
There was no point of pressure as things were done as per the policy,” he told ET. “There was no influence — no one ever told me that you should do this or that this has to be done,” the retired bureaucrat said. As for meeting executives of AirAsia and Tata Sons, Mayaram said he does not particularly recall any specific conversation, but added that he must have done so as part of his duties as finance secretary. “At that time (of clearance), the company did not exist in India. It was only after approval that the company was formed,” he said.
02/06/18 Manu Pubby/Economic Times
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