TATA's small car

Ratan Tata and the Tata group have for months zealously kept a tight lid on the details of the Rs 1-lakh car that is slated to roll out of Tata Motors’ Singur factory in June 2008. But on Tuesday, the shroud came off in singular circumstances.

“It’s an eco-car with a 25 km-per-litre mileage on petrol, meets every international standard and specification, including Euro-4 norms. Acceleration wise, it’s the same as a Maruti 800.”

That’s exactly how RA Mashelkar, former CSIR director general, who is now an independent non-executive director on the Tata Motors board, chose to describe the Rs 1-lakh small car on
Tuesday. He was recounting his recent ride on the prototype at the Tata Motors’ Pune plant.

“It’s a tool for inclusive growth,” Mr Mashelkar said in Kolkata on Tuesday. He was speaking here on ‘Resurgence of Innovative India: The Phenomenon and the Consequences,’ organised jointly by East India Pharmaceutical Works and The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture.
Mr Mashelkar also revealed how the small car concept first struck Ratan Tata, who’s now in the race to acquire two iconic British brands - Jaguar and Land Rover. “You know how ‘Ratan’ (Ratan Tata) thought about this small car. He talked to me on several things. One day, he was going on the road and saw a family of four getting soaked in the rain. That was when he decided to create a small car for all,” he said. “Just a month ago, I was at the Tata Motors’ factory in Pune, talking to their engineers and their fantastic team there. It was there that I had the privilege of sitting in that small car - the Rs 1-lakh car that they plan to roll out at Singur. It is incredible,” said Mr Mashelkar. “I sat in that car by the way, and it was amazing,” he said.

Courtesy:economictimes.com
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