As India's Tata Motors emerges as the frontrunner in its bid for Jaguar Kamal Nath has suggested yet another iconic global brand for an India bid - McDonald's.
LONDON: As India's Tata Motors emerges as the frontrunner in its bid for Jaguar and Land Rover, Commerce and Trade Minister Kamal Nath has suggested yet another iconic global brand for an India bid - McDonald's, the American burger chain.
"Who knows about Jaguar... For that matter who knows about McDonald's," Nath told a gathering of India and British business leaders at a reception in a central London hotel on Wednesday night.
"What about a chicken tikka burger! Someone from India may say it [McDonald's] needs new ownership," he added.
The remarks, made in a light vein, came after British Trade Minister Digby Jones said if the Ford labels Jaguar and Land Rover did not go to One Equity, he hoped it would go to Tata Motors.
Business leaders at the event - a reception hosted by Jones - marvelled at the pace at which Indian companies had gone global in the past decade.
Indian-born Lord Karan Billimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and a leading light in moves to foster greater partnerships between Indian and British businesses, said Tata showed the way 10 years ago when it acquired the British tea makers Tetley Tea for 300 million pounds.
"And look at where we are today. We have Tata taking over Corus for 10 billion dollars, we have Vodafone Hutch in India - 10 billion dollars. The whole scene has changed..."
The Indo-British Partnership - a business network that Billimoria headed, has grown in tandem.
Launched in April 2005, it has now transformed into the UK India Business Council, with its own Chief Executive Office, and with one million pounds put in by the British government.
"We have come a long way," Billimoria said.
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