In a big setback for Tata Motors, the Supreme Court on Friday dismissed its plea challenging an order of the Bombay High Court which upheld the decision of the BEST to disqualify it from a tender process for supplying 1,400 electric buses worth Rs 2,450 crore, saying the vehicle manufacturer deviated from the "material and essential" term of the tender.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said it is not in dispute that the first and the foremost requirement of the tender was the prescribed operating range of the single decker buses which would operate for around 200 km on a single charge in actual conditions with 80 per cent state of charge without any interruption.
"The material on record would indicate that Tata Motors in its bid deviated from this requirement and had informed BEST that it could carry the operating range in the 'standard test conditions' which was not in accordance with the tender conditions.
"The high court has rightly observed in its ...
