G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Hi. Niira Radia: Hi Ganu, hi, you called, sorry.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah, yeah, Sorry to disturb you on a Saturday. Just wanted to tell you something about this Datacom and what not. See there is some continuous rumour about this uh Venugopal Dhoot buying out these guys and looking for some foreign partner with the consolidated stake. Niira Radia: Buying out Nahata, right?
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Nahata, yeah, I think he is telling people that I (he) have, you know, agreed with Nahata on buying him out, and now I am going to look for an overseas partner and do a major collaboration blah blah blah. Niira Radia: Right
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Because you know I think nobody believes that he can himself invest and do a, you know, a big time launch or anything, but he is telling everybody that I am going to get a partner. Niira Radia: Yeah, but no foreign collaborator is coming on the table with him, na.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah, yeah, so far nothing, but this is what he is telling people again and again. I am not even sure whether the Nahata thing is a done deal or still, whatever, hanging. But this is what he is telling people. Niira Radia: I would imagine, Ganu that he, Nahata, still hasn't exited, that is something I know from about a week or ten days ago.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Hm, hm, hm Niira Radia: He had himself told me that this guy keeps giving me stories but doesn't do anything. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan, wohii, wohii, (Yes, that, that) these people have no credibility na, nobody believes them. Niira Radia: Right. Right, right, right. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: So, that's why he has started this new story that it's not just me, some foreign partner is going to come on board and all that. Niira Radia: Right, right.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Right. Accha, yesterday, when this story, the undersea cable business was being denied, these Bharti guys were very funny, you know, they were saying, "No no, we don't comment". They were not denying it outright, I don't know why. Niira Radia: No, no, Ganu, the reason is... G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah?
Niira Radia: The stories - they have a standard statement which is that we don't comment on market speculation, we don't confirm or deny. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan, haan haan.
Niira Radia: But I spoke to them, and seriously, I mean, because we had already denied it, there was no need to - for them to say anything else. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Ok, fine.
Niira Radia: I had a big hoo-ha with Rahul Joshi and your people in - Javed and Bodhi. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan haan.
Niira Radia: Because they had come to me with a story last week, um, on day before. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan.
Niira Radia: I told them you please carry it five column, front page, headline, largest font you can get, and I'll leave it to the Tatas to decide what they want to do with you guys. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan.
Niira Radia: Because the story is not true. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan, haan.
Niira Radia: SEBI has taken, I mean CNBC has taken it up, we have sent it to SEBI. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah, yeah.
Niira Radia: Siddharth and I, we have filed a complaint against CNBC with SEBI. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan, you know, so stupid, you know, despite the outright denial, they kept on running it till late in the evening.
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah, yeah, they think that you are screwing their source, the intent of the article was to cause destruction in the company. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: And if Bharti had also said, you know, outright denied it, saying you know, that there was nothing like it, then you know, it would have been much more difficult for anybody to speculate. These guys, they were trying to tell people nahi nahi nahi, yeh toh Bharti ne hi story leak kiya hai, tabhi to woh deny nahi kar raha hai (No no no, Bharti has only leaked the story, that's why they're denying it) and all that. But of course it was very clear that it's all total humbug.
Niira Radia: Yeah, it's all utter nonsense Ganu. Ganu what is your status on Javed, he is with ADAG? G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he is totally on board with them. But that Mumbai guy, that Jhunjhunwala?
Niira Radia: Haan. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: So, he went twice to Mumbai to meet him, and this Tony also, it seems, is not going, or whatever, or his going is delayed, or whatever.
Niira Radia: No, he is not going. He is...he - they spread a rumour. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan.
Niira Radia: They tried to plant Venkatesh back with us. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan.
Niira Radia: Because Venkatesh said I have left them and I want to come back to you. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Haan, haan.
Niira Radia: And tried to spill all the beans, Tony is going, all that, the fight with Jhunjhunwala, thinking that we'll take him back, but we refused to take him back, then he was at Ad Factor for three months, and now he is going back to them. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: He is going to Ad Factor?
Niira Radia: No, he's gone to Ad Factor for three months, now, because he cant go back to them straight away, na? G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Ah, oh, ok, ok, ok, aah, dirty tricks department.
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Good that you, decided, you know not to.
Niira Radia: I would never take him back now. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so what do you think, this Tony is going, or not going, what is the truth?
Niira Radia: No I don't, I think this is just rumours, they just do this to distract people, I dont think Tony will go anywhere. (Inaudible). G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Because you know why, because he is actively, you know every second or third day, he is sitting with Javed for coffee or lunch or whatever, you know, these two three people, this Arun Kumar, yeh-woh (this and that), they keep planting something or the other.
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Most of the time it turns out to be some fraud or speculation only. .
Niira Radia: Correct, correct, no, no, let it be, just let it be. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: And you know first they will pick on, this thing, yeh (this) Tata-Tele, then they will say something about Unitech, third day they will spread something about somebody else, this is the way they are operating.
Niira Radia: Hmm, hmm, hmm G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: And I think yesterday, was also this fellow's wedding, no, this Mittal's daughter's wedding on the day of the wedding, they thought probably that Bharti would not be very actively you know, getting into denying this story, maybe, because he...Mittal would have been busy with his own function and whatever.
Niira Radia: Correct, correct, correct G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: So that's what. They thought, you know, it would be left to Manoj Kohli, Manoj Kohli itna jaldi kuch karega nahi, standard statement, is type ka kuch karte rahenge, tab tak rumour speculate karte raho. (Manoj Kohli will not do anything so fast, standard statements - this type of thing will be done, until then people have to keep speculation about rumours.)
Niira Radia: Correct, correct, correct G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Stupid guys, anyway.
Niira Radia: Yeah, yeah, never mind, (laughs) (inaudible). G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: We should be on air any time, say next week onwards, we are testing and all that, so that we are there by budget.
Niira Radia: Great, great, great. G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: So, that is first week of July. Niira Radia: Ok.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Hm, in the meanwhile I will give you a call on Monday or send you message. Niira Radia: Lets meet, let's meet Tuesday, yeah?
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Tuesday? Niira Radia: Yeah.
G. Ganapathy Subramaniam: Ok, fine, cool Niira Radia: Great. (Tape ends)