INDIAN Tata Group - which bought steelmaker Corus this year - yesterday said it was interested in acquiring the Jaguar and Land Rover divisions of Ford.

The company has consistently refused to comment on speculation about possible bids for the Ford assets, but yesterday, Tata chairman Ratan Tata said: "We certainly have an interest in that. It is to give ourselves scale, to give ourselves global reach."

Tata said the interest in Jaguar and Land Rover was driven by a desire to expand Tata Motors' worldwide reach and reduce its dependence on the Indian market, which currently accounts for more than 90 per cent of its sales.

The Tata Group, with interests ranging from automobiles to steel and software, is the most aggressive among Indian companies seeking overseas acquisitions to gain global visibility after thriving for decades in a home market.

Earlier this year, Tata Steel won a £6bn bid to acquire Corus Steel - which employs 3,000 people in the North-East. The acquisition makes the company the world's fifth largest steel maker.

Ford, which lost more than £6bn last year, has been looking to sell Jaguar and Land Rover.