"Tata Motors has given us a commitment that it will set up a permanent satellite facility at Pantnagar for producing Nanos," said Chief Secretary Indu Kumar Pande. From the Pantnagar industrial unit, from where the company would launch its first car, Tata Motors is planning to produce a total of 50,000 units per year. Besides, it has agreed to distribute all its Nano cars from Pantnagar through its new subsidiary, Tata Motors Distribution Co Ltd.
Tata Group head Ratan Tata said on Tuesday he has set higher ambitions for the Nano car which will be available in more variants, including diesel and electric versions.
The Nano car loan is available for a maximum tenure of 7 years at an interest rate that ranges between 11.75 per cent and 12 per cent p.a.
Tata Motors is developing higher capacity engines for its Nano car, to target domestic as well as foreign markets.
Shelving its expansion plans in Thailand and opting for fast-growing Indonesia, India's Tata Motors is in talks with a leading Indonesian automobile company to produce its popular no-frills Nano car.
Tata Motors will launch a diesel-powered version of its ultra-cheap Nano by the end of March 2014, its managing director said, hoping to kick-start demand for the model after years of disappointing sales.
Like many other low-unit value, fast-moving consumer goods, the Nano can be expected to alter the dynamics of its market like nothing before.
The Tata group may consider launching its small car Nano in a new avatar in another country like Indonesia, where it doesn't have the 'stigma' of being 'the cheapest car', and bring it back to India for a fresh start with a new image, according to Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata.
Tata Motors on Monday announced that the Tata Nano Standard version (BS2) will be priced at Rs 1 lakh (Rs 100,000) ex Factory Pantnagar (excluding transportation charges and VAT) thereby delivering on the promise made at the unveiling of the car at the Auto Expo in New Delhi last year on January 10th 2008.
During the festive season, dealers of Tata Motors reported a robust pick-up in demand for the Nano.
Typically, about 70 per cent of a car dealer's revenue comes from businesses like servicing, arranging finance, sale of spare parts and accessories, insurance renewals, offering driving lessons, etc. A New Delhi-based dealer said even those ancillary services might not fetch them the margins they earn from servicing other models of Tata Motors like Indica and Indigo.
Noting that the company's Nano plant in Singur, West Bengal, was expected to come into operation in the last quarter of 2008, Ratan Tata, in a letter to shareholders in the annual report for 2007-08, said that manufacturing facilities would be expanded to meet domestic and global demand in the future. "New variants of the Nano are also currently under development to meet the new environmental and fuel price challenges".
According to figures released by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers on Monday, Tata Motors exported 498 units last month as compared to just a single unit in the corresponding month last year.
The bookings for Rs 1 lakh Nano car by the Tata Motors are pouring in from all parts of the country as the sole booking agent SBI said it has distributed lakhs of applications for the world's cheapest car.
There are about 70,000 Nanos on the roads now.
Nano's production though continues unhindered despite mounting losses
Tata Motors managing director & CEO Carl-Peter Forster told Business Standard that the company would not be doing the Nano justice if it remains just the 'world's cheapest car' and, hence, will look at all the 'natural evolutions' of the Nano, including upgrades.
Tata Motors have launched the Nano Twist in Mumbai. The Nano Twist, is the power steering variant of the Nano.
Market watchers believe Tata Motors' move to upgrade the Nano is a right decision.
This is the first time that a car brand will be selling its merchandise on the website.
Last year, HPL posted losses of around Rs 960 crore (Rs 9.6 billion) on revenues of Rs 8,662 crore (Rs 86.62 billion).
Tata Motors on Friday said it will increase the prices of its small car Nano, dubbed as the Rs 1-lakh wonder, by about Rs 9,000 with effect from November 1 to offset rising input costs.
'The launch of the vehicle was successful beyond expectation'.
Close on the heels of Tata Motors' announcing a special financing scheme for its small car Nano to perk up sales, the company on Monday announced that the car will be now available in its 874 outlets pan-India.
The company planning to have a larger push to small car even as sales continue to remain subdued.
The small car proves very useful and convenient for city driving.
One of the challenges on diesel engine is refinement.
Ginger Hotels are the Tata Group's chain of budget hotels.
Names of the 100,000 customers who have been finalised for allotment of the Nano through the computerised procedure were announced by the company last month.
Tata Motors' Pantnagar facility sent its first consignment of the world's cheapest car, Nano to Hyderabad.
Tata Nano's potential was not fully exploited and the world's cheapest car needed another push to boost sales, said Tata Motors Ltd Chairman Ratan Tata.
The Nano Europa will have a slightly longer wheelbase of 2.28 metres and will be powered by a 3-cylinder all-aluminum gasoline engine with 5-speed automatic transmission and electric power steering.
Initially, there were concerns that the rudimentary nature of the Nano, priced at about 1,400 pounds, might fall short of stringent European safety standards, but these have diminished following its impressive performance at the Motor Industry Research Association last week.
Riding on the Nano wave, Direct-to-Home major Tata Sky on Tuesday announced a promotional scheme for consumers booking the people's car, offering a 20 per cent discount on a new connection.
In 2013-14, Tata Motors produced 21,358 Nano models against the plant capacity of 250,000 vehicles.
Tata's small car Nano may not be able to enter Europe due to stringent safety and emission norms, leading German luxury carmaker Audi said joining the list of auto players, who are sceptical about the prospects of the world's cheapest car.
Tatas' drive into Sanand area for their Nano project has given a major fillip to Mumbai-based real estate major K Raheja Corp to set up its support infrastructure projects in the area.
India's first woman photographer Homi Vyarawalla, who has been eagerly awaiting the delivery of Nano has threatened to cancel the booking if the car is not delivered to her within a week. The company had offered to deliver her the 'small car' on priority basis after accepting deposits from her about two months ago.
Even after people rushed to various centres to book the Nano on Saturday, the last official day for doing so, dealers undertook bookings on Sunday and Monday, breaching the time-line set by Tata Motors.
Tata Motors, India's largest car maker by revenue, is exploring the possibility of adding more models to the production line at its Sanand plant in Gujarat.
© 2025 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances