AirAsia case: CBI summons Tata’s R Venkataramanan on July 3

The CBI has summoned R Venkataramanan, the Tata Group’s nominee on the board of AirAsia India, for questioning on July 3 over allegations that the airline used illegal tactics to lobby for a change in policies.

AirAsia India is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad, both owning 49% each. The rest is held by Venkataramanan and the local airline’s chairman, S Ramadorai.

In an FIR registered on May 29, the CBI named Venkataramanan and top executives of the AirAsia group including global CEO Tony Fernandes for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy with unknown public servants to alter rules to get early overseas flying rights.


On Thursday, the agency had questioned AirAsia India chief financial officer Deepak Mahendra.

AirAsia and the Tata Group have denied allegations against their executives. At a meeting held on Tuesday, the board of Tata Sons expressed confidence in Venkataramanan and said that he would continue to serve on the airline’s board.

The FIR said “unknown public servants” of the civil aviation ministry and the now-scrapped Foreign Investment Promotion Board entered into a criminal conspiracy with Venkataramanan and other directors and lobbyists “to expedite approval process and change in aviation policies to suit the company”.

As first reported by ET, the AirAsia brass zeroed in not just on the civil aviation ministry, but also of several other ministries to lobby for the removal or amendment of the 5/20 rule.