Tata Motors offers 11% on fixed deposits

Update: This is not 13.3%. This is more like 11% (or 11.5% if you are a shareholder). The rate mentioned is not annualised; the only rates that matter are compounded rates. Thanks to the anonymous commenter who corrected me.

Tata Motors is offering upto 13.33% 11.5% interest, per year, on fixed deposits with the company. (Read the brochure)

All you need to do to be a shareholder is to buy one share - currently less than Rs. 200 - and get 0.5% more.

The major issue of course: Is Tata Motors going to be solvent? Going by how this stupid government is thinking of bailout a Satyam, I think it's a given that even Tata Motors is going to be bailed out. In Satyam they aren't even letting the shareholders go bust - usually bailouts protect debt holders, but here they're protecting those that took the risk!

Given this mentality it's likely Tata Motors won't be allowed to go bust, but if things get ugly money could be stuck for a while. The financials don't look very good, but that's true of everything. Comes down to trust. So if you like Ratan Tata - and most importantly, if he likes you - this might just be the "alpha" you're looking for.