DEHRADUN: Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata on Monday said he did not enter the airline business as he was not comfortable with the idea of bribing Rs 15 crore to a minister, as had been suggested by an industrialist.

Answering a question on rampant corruption in different Government departments, during half-an-hour Question-Answer hour session after delivering his 45 minute keynote address on 8th Uttarakhand Foundation Day lecture on "India in the 21st Century: Opportunities and challenges" organised by Uttarakhand Government, Chairman of Tata Group of Industries Ratan Tata said some individual in Union Civil Aviation Ministry had demanded an amount of Rs 15 crore from me in order to launch a joint venture with Singapore Airlines to start the Airline from India a couple of years ago.

He regretted that despite being a pioneer in the airline industry, the group faced enormous problems in setting up a domestic airlines in collaboration with Singapore Airlines.

"We approached three prime ministers. But an individual thwarted our efforts," Tata, who is known generally to observe restraint on controversial matters, but also speaks his mind freely when he thinks fit, said at a lecture here. "I happened to be on a flight once and another industrialist who was sitting next to me said: 'I don't understand. You people are stupid. You know the minister wants Rs 15 crore. So why don't you pay it?'," Tata said, about the conversation.

"I just said: 'You can't understand it. I just want to go to bed at night, knowing that I haven't got the airline by paying for it'," he said.

Ratan Tata's predecessor, JRD Tata , had set up the first commercial airlines of India 'Tata Airlines' in the 1930s and that was later in the 1950s taken over by the Government and turned into Air India.

After taking over the reins of the group, Ratan Tata had tried at least on three occassion to pursue the aviation business and accordingly moved the government of the day in 1995, 1997 (rpt) 1997 and 2001.

The last time (2001), it was the BJP government when Tatas and Singapore Airlines withdrew as sole bidders their joint bid for Air India, citing political opposition to the sale.

"I don't want to change the deadline I set for my retirement," he said, responding to a question. "There are lots of sacrifices, one has to make in terms of personal life. I wanted my life back. I want to enjoy the things that I wanted to do."

The holding company of the group has already formed a five-member selection committee to find an individual who can step into his shoes and Tata said: "I ferociously want to ensure that my successor has total commitment for ethics and values."

He said there was no such thing as an indispensable individual and added that the day he succeeded legendary J.R.D. Tata, he had very large shoes to fill, knowing very well that there cannot be another "JRD" and he had to come into his own.

"I believe my successor will also be his own person. Hopefully he will do things for the country and the group the way we have been doing till now or much better."