Nano – Rs 1 Lakh Car

The chairman of the countries of the leading industrial houses – Tata group – Mr. Ratan Tata must be a very happy man now a days. Certainly he has enough reasons too to be so. His dream project – NANO – the cheapest car on earth has become a reality. It has been unveiled at auto – expo in New Delhi last week and is getting unprecedented attention not only in India but has generated wide spread interest in international car market also. In sort, the Nano has taken the automobile world by storm.

Nano, priced at Rs 1 Lakh in India is at once a revelation as well as a “revolution” in the international car industry. In India also every newspaper worth it’s salt carried the news of the unveiling of the car on it’s first page often as a lead item and in great details. While almost all the news channels of the country went ga-ga over the car for hours together. In sort, Nano became an instant hit with the Indian public.

Incidentally all this hype and hoopla over the small car reminds one of the day when late Sanjay Gandhi’s dream project – Maruti people’s car rolled out of its Gurgaon plant almost 25 years ago. Since then in the last 2 and a half decades the countries automobile industry has taken a big stride. With the countries booming economy, Maruti 800 the cheapest car around, has taken a back seat. Costly luxury cars seem to have out paced late Sanjay Gandhi’s “people’s car” on the Indian roads. At this point of time Ratan Tata a visionary, dreamt of a cheap car that would suit the budget of the country’s middle class customers who badly needed but were unable to afford a family transport. It was four – five years back when Ratan Tata promised to produce a “Lakh takiya” [car of Rs. One lakh] car for the majority of the Indians. Since then for various unavoidable reasons beyond Ratan Tata’s control, it took a considerably much longer period for the car to come out of the factory. But Ratan Tata has kept his promise. In spite of the heavy odds the car is due to hit the Indian market in a few months time. Not only that, even though there has been a steep escalation in price of almost every object during this time, it goes to the credit of the Tata group that as promised the Rs. One lakh price tag has been maintained even now. Ratan Tata deserved to be congratulated for that.

Little wonder then that the entire automobile industry from New Delhi to New York and London to Los Angeles is awe-struck at the unbelievably low 2500 American dollar price tag. It is believed that in the US, the cheapest car costs around dollar 10300. In England a report claims that in UK currency the cost of Nano will be somewhere around pound 1200. The premier automobile magazine “auto express” reacted to Nano like this, “…there is always room for cheap cars in Europe and cheap cars anywhere. Weather or not this particular car can succeed is another question. The UK market is very demanding and very sophisticated. We already have cheap cars in the form of cheap cars” but one would certainly appreciate the fact that while purchasing a used car is one thing, owning a brand new car is altogether a different proposition. Automobile experts have expressed doubt weather Nano would meet emission and safety regulations of developed nations.

Nano has created great interest in the United States too where various automobile magazine have heaped praise on the car, it’s looks, low price and fuel efficiency and capacity. The 10 foot and 5 foot wide 624 cc car has more room inside than that of its nearest rivals in Indian market Maruti 800. With 20-22 kilometers per liter milage the car can seat 4 – 5 people. With all these features, the “lakh takiya car” is strongly expected to be commercially a hit in foreign markets too. But Mr. Ratan Tata has other nobler ideas. He says that it will be his first and foremost duty to cater to the demands of the Indian market for the first 2 – 3 years. There after he might probe the African, American and other markets. All that is in the hands of future. For the present, all said and done, Mr. Ratan Tata deserves a big pat on his back and a huge hug from the automobile lovers of India for his bold and pioneering role in the automobile field. He has shown the world the way, which many other car manufacturers are eager to follow now. Some of these industrialists may even market small cars in near future for prices even cheaper than that of Nano. But that will not take away any credit from the Tatas for their epoch – making achievement. They will always be remembered by the car users and even the present two wheeler owners who are likely to go for a Nano in the days to come. As harbingers in the field of car manufacturing.

Author: Subhash Dey
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