Tata may bag Jaguar today

LONDON: Tata offices in London have more to celebrate than just Christmas. Insiders say the deal for the conglomerate to take over Jaguar and Land Rover is “essentially done” and the official announcement could be made today.

The billion pound deal will mean that Tata will beat its nearest rivals Mahindra & Mahindra and the private equity company, One Equity.

That Jaguar and Land Rover unions have put their muscle behind Tata has gone a long way towards securing the deal. Between them, Jaguar and Land Rover employ around 40,000 people. A workforce, it is believed, Tata has promised to retain.

Jaguar dealers told DNA that they are not too worried if the luxury brand is taken over by an Indian company, arguing that it would not affect the “cars’ popularity as long as the standards are maintained and the name
is retained”.