Tarun Das: Where are you?
Niira Radia: I am in Mumbai, in my, my new home
Tarun Das: My goodness! You have been really camping, you live.. you moved to Bombay is it?
Niira Radia: Aah, two clients, Ratan and Mukesh, don't leave me in peace
Tarun Das: You got better, better company there.
Niira Radia: I am not so sure if it's better company
Tarun Das: Eh?
Niira Radia: I am not so sure if its better company, but its, it's certainly…very, what should I say? They really do suck your blood
Tarun Das: Are you keeping your both clients happy?
Niira Radia: Yeah, by the way I have introduced both of them to each other, now
Tarun Das: That you told me.
Niira Radia: I told you, no? They are together and they are happy.
Tarun Das: (laughs)
Niira Radia: With Anil’s latest petition in court -- where he says all the gas agreement should be now stopped and cancelled and he should be given the gas first even though he does not have a power plant -- has not gone down too well with Ratan and everybody else. You are gonna have 40 other companies now impleading in court
Tarun Das: Right
Niira Radia: So, no, I have been quite tied up on the issue and of course, between all this me and my health its always have been something always comes up... Ended up having a..
Tarun Das: Yeah, what's happened?
Niira Radia: Ended up. Nothing else. I got too wise. My tooth. I have wisened up. My wisdom tooth is planning to come out. (laughs)
Tarun Das: O gosh!
Niira Radia: Look, come out, meaning it is already out but sitting on a nerve.
Tarun Das: (in between) Pain
Niira Radia: So they..operated on it yesterday, tried to take it out but they could not take it out.
Tarun Das: O gosh.
Niira Radia: So they cut around it and now there are seven stitches in my mouth.
Tarun Das: O my God.
Niira Radia: Yeah, when do we work (unclear), laughs
Tarun Das: You can talk?
Niira Radia: Yeah, I am talking, you know me, I, I, I gargled and do all my stuff and I carry on talking and it pains after a while.
Tarun Das: Are you alone in Bombay?
Niira Radia: Hmm, Me and my maid here. My Son was here in week and he went back. Yeah, because he is working in Bombay nowadays. So.. he went back yesterday. So, I.. decided to go back to, I am coming back to Delhi tomorrow.
Tarun Das: Who heads the Bombay office?
Niira Radia: Bombay office, I have three different people because Manoj looks after Newcom, Natasha and other company Vitcom and Jonathan who is the CEO, he sits out of Bombay.
Tarun Das: Oh he is in Bombay? Who looks after Tatas, that big guy, what's his name?
Niira Radia: Suresh
Tarun Das: Suresh. Ok
Niira Radia: He is a branch head, yeah.
Tarun Das: Who looks after Reliance?
Niira Radia: Manoj. Manoj Warrier.
Tarun Das: Ok,Manoj
Niira Radia: He is very good. He is one of my founding team you know from the beginning.
Tarun Das: Achaa
Niira Radia: He is very very good.
Tarun Das: So you put your best man for.. Reliance?
Niira Radia: No, no but Suresh and Vishal are all of them there, y'know, Jonathan is one of you know.. Tatas needed a global mind right now.
Tarun Das: That's true
Niira Radia: Having someone like Jonathan in Bombay was the right choice.
Tarun Das: And you got your Jaguar?
Niira Radia: I take delivery on.. when I come back. I am coming back next weekend so I take delivery on Saturday.
Tarun Das: And It will stay in Bombay or it will come to Delhi?
Niira Radia: You know I am... If I bring it to Delhi then you come in too much this thing you know. Everybody...
Tarun Das: (laughs)
Niira Radia: Especially for this, you know how people in Delhi are.
Tarun Das: Yeah
Niira Radia: But when you come to Bombay I am going to take you for a spin
Tarun Das: Yeah, I'd love to. I am never going to be able to afford it, what is it — 90 lakhs?
Niira Radia: 62
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Tarun Das: 62 lakhs
Niira Radia: I have gone for XS now because XKR two seater would be no point because you know you can't drive it in Bombay in any sort so I took this Sedan, the luxury so that.
Tarun Das: Did you got Ratan to review his views on Sunil Mittal?
Niira Radia: You know I am going to talk to Sunil because I want him to make a statement because he is going to do a Vir interview, on 10th,Vir tells me he is doing the interview on the 10th. and.. I am.. am going to ask him to correct that point where he said if Ratan had too much money he could give it to
the Prime minister’s fund. Sunil said he has regretted saying that statement and I think he is willing to correct that.
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Tarun Das: Yeah, shouldn’t say this.
Niira Radia: And I think, I think if he does say that you know, in which there is a question like that where he says that he has a lot of respect for Ratan and all that.
Tarun Das: He has a lot of respect
Niira Radia: I know but Ratan does not believe in that, maybe...
Tarun Das: Ratan has, Ratan has sent names for the US India CEO forum...
Niira Radia: Oh
Tarun Das: He has left out Sunil. In spite of the fact that he is Number 1, you know.100 million subscribers and Walmart partner.
Niira Radia: Well, then, that's really awful. I’ll tell Ratan, I’ll have a word with him. By the way I managed to get them a great thing done. All the problems that they are having in UK with the government not giving them the guarantee
Tarun Das: Yeah
Niira Radia: This’s just between you and me, I interviewed somebody I knew from the banking community in the UK
Tarun Das: umm
Niira Radia: He was very very up with the Credit Suisse group. And we have managed to get that guarantee done without the government having to give us a counter guarantee.
Tarun Das: Rich
Niira Radia: He is thrilled with me today. He called me up from Dubai, Ratan is in Dubai today.
Tarun Das: Right.
Niira Radia: And he called me saying I just don’t know how to thank you.
Tarun Das: Why did he go there?
Niira Radia: I think he is looking for funding for JLR.
Tarun Das: Oh Dubai! O gosh!
Niira Radia: I think he was in Saudi the other day.
Tarun Das: Saudi
Niira Radia: Yeah, so maybe. But I am gonna certainly ask him on.. on Sunil I am definitely going to.
Tarun Das: Try to have just like you have done with Mukesh and Ratan.
Niira Radia: Hmm
Tarun Das: Try to sort this one out because it's not good.
Niira Radia: No I will do that, I will. I have it on my mind that I am going to talk to Sunil when he is back because he needs to raise this, I want to answer this personally if I get to ask this
Tarun Das: Sure.
Niira Radia: So that I can ask it in a particular way. Sunil also doesn’t compromise. I can then, I can then pass that CD through Ratan and ask him and say now look at this, you know.
Tarun Das: Right
Niira Radia: Because it's Krishna Kumar and all of them who are spoiling his mind.
Tarun Das: Yeah, we need to clear this because you know, my, my point is that I have met the PM today. Half an hour alone. One to one. And he talked about my article in Economic Times. One of the issues you know, and he said, you know, I want industry to be respected by the public but industry does not respect each other.
Niira Radia: Correct.
Tarun Das: You know, (they are) all the time at each other.
Niira Radia: Yeah
Tarun Das: Yeah, so forget about Mukesh and Anil but Ratan and Mukesh as you are doing. Sunil and Ratan, you know, we need to, we need to and you can really help him in this.
Niira Radia: Well, well I’ll help you. I do recognise that's the only way we can go.
Tarun Das: The public will not respect them unless they are ok with each other. All the time bad mouthing each other
Niira Radia: Yeah, they are always fighting, yeah. I am with you on that. I am going to
Tarun Das: Which flight are you coming on.
Niira Radia: Haan, 4′o clock.
Tarun Das: Ok
Niira Radia: Why do you wanna join me?
Tarun Das: You come commercial flights or do you have a private jet now?
Niira Radia: (laughs) Not yet. my clients won’t pay me fees.
Tarun Das: When are you gonna get a private jet?
Niira Radia: I told Ratan, I said, he said nobody Niira the world’s will ever see this guarantee and otherwise UK government feeling so much problem and you have done it and I said why don't you start with [not clear]
Tarun Das: Why can’t you just use Ratan’s plane now?
Niira Radia: (laughs).You know Tarun I never ask for favours.
Tarun Das: One way Ratan’s plane one way Mukesh’s plane.
Niira Radia: (laughs) I am very happy on my commercial flights. I am waiting for Jet and Kingfisher to go down so that some decent people can take over those airlines.
Tarun Das: Yeah
Niira Radia: But you Tarun I tell you about Air India, did you talk to PM about bringing Sunil Arora there?
Tarun Das: Again?
Niira Radia: We really wanna turn that airline around, haan.
Tarun Das: Again?
Niira Radia: He is the only guy who has the respect of the union.
Tarun Das: Oh
Niira Radia: And who has the capacity to turn that airline around. Praful [Patel, the aviation minister] won’t have him. Praful is dead against him but PM may have a view that he is pro BJP. But I dont think Sunil is just because he has worked with Shekhawat.
Tarun Das: Hmm
Niira Radia: But I think Sunil's got, I have seen it you know... He has the capacity.
Tarun Das: Sunil was recommended to me to be the director general of CII.
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah,.he has really got potential.
Tarun Das: But.. The recommendation was he will be two years here and then he leave out when he becomes secretary. How can, you know, how can we agree to that?
Niira Radia: You know, you can do, there are always special provisions, comeon.
Tarun Das: Anyways, now its too late now, too late.
Niira Radia: (murmurs) Why?
Tarun Das: We have got a Director General, no, we have got a DG no, how can I change?
Niira Radia: No, I know but I am saying for the Air India CMD we can...
Tarun Das: Air India?
Niira Radia: Yeah
Tarun Das: That I’ll do. That I'll work on but Praful is such a...
Niira Radia: He is, he is...
Tarun Das: He is a sharpy...
Niira Radia: But Prime Minister is there no, he has already put his foot down. He has already got involved.
Tarun Das: He put his foot down in many people. He is kicking around his ministers big time.
Niira Radia: O. I am glad. I am glad.
Tarun Das: After long time.
Niira Radia: Glad, did he tell you anything about the gas issue?
Tarun Das: I want to stay away from this gas issue. You want me to write about it (laughs)
Niira Radia: But it's national interest.
Tarun Das: We will talk about it,
Niira Radia: It's national interest
Tarun Das: We’ll talk... we’ll when you come back.
Niira Radia: You know there is only one man who can give point perspective. All I am saying here is..
Tarun Das: Hmm
Niira Radia: You divide Dhirubhai’s wealth that’s all very well. But you can’t get fighting about national wealth. It's the nation’s wealth, you know.
Tarun Das: Yeah
Niira Radia: That's all I am saying. I am not taking sides. On that one. Because I really believe we are gonna surprise. I said this to Mukesh, you know.
Tarun Das: Yeah
Niira Radia: This is the time to change it now. And time for him to change his reputation now.
Tarun Das: That's true.
Niira Radia: Yeah
Tarun Das: Now You have sent me an SMS saying that Arup seeing some land.
Niira Radia: Ya, on Wednesday because this guy only got some XMB (unclear) today because they say they are closing their QIP issue today. They are doing some swanky paper work.
Tarun Das: No, no
Niira Radia: So he said he is back in Delhi on Wednesday and said he had three four plots he appointed this guy Tripathi to take Arup around to show him the.. land
Tarun Das: I thought I will also go if it's at a time which works for me.
Niira Radia: Ok
Tarun Das: I am free in the morning or after lunch. Lunch I have got a meeting in Delhi.
Niira Radia: Ok, so I'll ask him to. They can also do it in morning.
Tarun Das: Morning it would be great.
Niira Radia: I’ll set it up with him when he comes back tomorrow.
Tarun Das: Ok.
Niira Radia: He said..
Tarun Das: Yeah...
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[abruptly ends]
Transcribed by Arun G, checked by Arfat Ahmad and then by OL
