RATAN TATA, the Indian industrialist whose group owns Corus and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has attacked the government’s record on manufacturing, saying it “does not appear to care” about the sector.

The chairman of Tata Sons said Britain risked “losing the wealth of the nation” through its disregard for industry. “[The government] either doesn’t realise it or chooses not to consider it important,” he said.

Tata is one of the largest inward investors in Britain. As well as JLR and Corus, which together employ about 40,000 people, it owns Tetley Tea. Corus last week said it was likely to lay off 3,000 workers on Teesside.

Ratan said he exempted Gordon Brown from the criticism. “He is a very sincere person. I have to believe he is genuine in his desire to see British industry supported. There hasn’t been implementation of that desire.”

JLR has failed in attempts to get loan guarantees from the government and is understood to have refused an offer from officials last week, rejecting conditions that would have given Whitehall a degree of management control.

Tata said: “The government controls the banks and all I seek is facilitation of access to credit on commercial terms. Not a bailout.

“My concern is that the government does not appear to care about the manufacturing sector or doesn’t seem to consider it really part of the economy,” he said, adding that he had also thought the UK was a spent force in manufacturing.

He had been surprised by his experience at JLR and Corus. “We were amazed because the whole Coventry and Birmingham area is full of high skills in design and automotive engineering.”

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