RADIA GATE - BIO I

The Girl Who Was Once Nira Sharma

• Moved to London from Kenya in the 1970s. Schooled at Haberdashers’ Aske’s. Bachelor’s at University of Warwick.
• Has three siblings. Father in aviation. Three sons from failed marriage with UK businessman Janak Radia.
• India entry in 1995. Sahara liaison officer. India rep of Singapore Airlines, KLM, UK Air.
• Floats Crown Air as MD in 2000, with sister Karuna Menon as partner. Secures FIPB clearance to invest over Rs 100 crore, but plan falls through.
• Sets up Vaishnavi Communications in 2001, followed by Noesis, Victom and Neucom Consulting. Bags all 90 Tata group accounts. Reliance joins list in 2008.
• Bid to launch Magic Air collapses in 2005 as rules stipulate Indian ownership. PIO Radia holds a British passport.

• Spends months at Singur in ’08 during Tata Nano row. Lands in 2G scam in 2010