Ratan Tata doesn't want Nano as taxi

Ratan Tata does not want his much-awaited Rs 1 lakh wonder Nano to be positioned as a taxi as it could be detrimental to the brand image.

Asked by a shareholder whether the Nano would make its way to the commercial segment, Tata said he would not want it to be sold as a taxi. The image of the product would change, he said, adding that it would defeat the purpose for which the Nano project was initiated. Ratan Tata said that in developing Nano, the focus of the company was to provide an affordable car to a family that currently uses a two-wheeler.

But can a manufacturer prevent sale to the commercial sector? Industry officials told TOI that if a manufacturer wants to restrict sales to the taxi segment, it may position the model as a private vehicle with respective RTOs. This would not only prevent its registration as a taxi, but also make it impossible for any buyer to get excise refund that a commercial operator is entitled for.

Apart from ordinary consumers, the Nano has enthused interest among auto-rickshaw drivers and commercial taxi operators, many of who said they would like to buy the car. On the rollout of Nano, Tata said work at Singur was moving as per schedule and the car would be out in the market in the latter half of this year.

source:timesofindia