Ratan Tata: A powerful India, China economic block needed

India and China can gain from each other, especially in the business arena, and forge a powerful economic block but the two nations are not as close as they "should or could be", Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata said here today.

Citing partnership between Tatas-owned Jaguar Land Rover and China's Cherry Automobile, he said the Chinese bring ingenuity and creativity to their job.

"Unfortunately, as one speaks honestly, the two countries are not as close as they should or could be," said Tata, during a dialogue session with students at the Singapore Management University (SMU).

"I really believe that India and China would forge a very powerful economic block if we were to find a way to work together," he said in response to a question on the territorial dispute between the two countries and the 1962 border war, and now their own views on dominating the Oceans.

Tata called for more cooperation between businesses of the two countries, adding that it has not been that easy between the two nations.

"I think India has a lot to gain from Chinese companies in the manner in which the Chinese do business. The way they have succeeded has been exemplary to us," he stressed.

Tata noted that the Beijing government has played an important role in the development of Chinese enterprises.

He also cited the example of Jaguar Land Rover and Cherry Automobile joint venture near Shanghai.

He said it was a good example of the joint venture investment, which would see Jaguar for the first time making products outside the UK and exporting to the global market.

"It [the joint venture] is going to be eye-opener how a Chinese partner will bring ingenuity and creativity to their job and we should be opened to it," said Tata.

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