The Big Question

Radia's machinations ensured that her boss Ratan Tata was never at a loss at the minister's hands.

Conversation with Sunil Arora

Sunil Arora, a 1980 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, was CMD of Indian Airlines between 2000 and 2005. In mid-2009, when there were talks of Ratan Tata being brought on the board of directors of Air India, Radia tried to push Arora's candidature for the post of the Air India CMD. Below is an excerpt from the telephonic conversation between Radia and Arora on June 1, 2009.

Sunil Arora, Former Indian Airlines chief: I believe that in this so-called spectrum allocation, the biggest beneficiary is the younger brother (read Anil Ambani).

Radia: Absolutely. That's why it's important to reverse the tide.

Arora: How come the younger brother is the biggest beneficiary and you people are supporting him (Raja) like anything?

Radia: I will explain it to you. It's a very complex issue.

Arora: We will talk on the other phone.

Radia: My client, Tata, has also been a beneficiary in this (2G scam).

Arora: Okay.

Conversation with Madhav Joshi

Madhav Joshi is Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. Radia was in constant touch with him, providing him inside information about the future policy decisions being made by the DoT. Below are the excerpts from the telephonic conversation between Radia and Madhav on July 8, 2009.

Radia: "Madhav, the Government's view is? I have had a long chat with Mr Chandolia just now, spent about half-an-hour on the phone with him. The Government view is that we are not as of now looking at the Subodh Kumar report. We are going to send it to TRAI and that is going to take six months. In the meantime, whatever is our existing policy, subscriber-based, will continue. And therefore, while he assures that while we are in the queue, therefore, Anil Ambani can't get his 1.8 till we are given our 4.4 because we are effectively in the queue for those circles. Therefore his 1.8 will come only after we get our 4.4."

Conversation with Ratan Tata

Below are the excerpts from the 18-minute-long conversation between Radia and Tata on June 11, 2009.

Radia: "Anil (Tata Teleservices MD Anil Sardana) and I had gone to meet up the minister. And I've been meeting him separately. The sense I'm getting is that while he is moving ahead as far as 3G is concerned, the sense I'm getting is that he seems to be quite hell-bent on this 6.6 MHz going to Anil Ambani and I have told him that I will oppose it vehemently unless we get all our spectrum." She could be further heard briefing Tata on the strategies she was deploying to get him more spectrum.

Radia: "So we have moved two-three processes. One, we want harmonisation of spectrum to start, with harmonisation taking place, lot of spectrum will get cleared in some of areas. The second thing I said to him is that there is about 5 MHz coming in from defence on 2G. What I'm proposing on that is that you first give us our 4.4 in Delhi from that."

Radia: "Raja has promised me that he is not going to do anything in a hurry. I think he will not. I made Kanni speak to him as well. He is not going to do anything in a hurry at all. He has promised that. So we (have) got some time and I'm gonna meet Dr Sarma (TRAI chairman) again on Monday."
Below is the excerpt from the conversation that Radia had with Tata on July 7, 2009 when he was in Israel.

Tata:"The only concern I have is that Maran is going hammer and tongs for Raja. And I hope Raja doesn't trip or slip."

Radia: "No, he hasn't because chief justice has issued a statement that no minister called the high court judge. So that's clarified. In any case that didn't happen so Maran made to look like a fool now. So in any case, Ratan, even if there was a problem that would happen, as far as that is concerned, it is Kanni who will come back into that power position and not Maran. That's a given. That's decided between them But there is no such thing that Raja is done. So that's perfectly alright."