Nano variants under development

Jul 02, 2008

Special Correspondent
KOLKATA: The expected high volumes of ‘Nano’ are set to change Tata Motors’ market position reach and visibility, according to Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata. He said the unveiling of the Nano and the acquisition of the Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, were two events of 2008 which have had a momentous impact on the scale of the company’s operations and its global image.

In his statement to the shareholders in the 2007-08 annual report, Mr. Tata has said that the high volumes of the Nano range will “dramatically change Tata Motors’ market position, reach and visibility.” He said that the company’s new plant at Singur in West Bengal was expected to go into operation in the last quarter of this calendar year and the manufacturing facilities would be expanded to meet the demand in the domestic and international markets in future.

Challenges

“New variants of the Nano are also now under development to meet the new environmental and fuel price challenges as also the market requirement of several new international markets,” he said. He said several international manufacturers were also planning to be in the ultra-low-cost segment and many of them were looking at India as a possible location for manufacturing such a vehicle.

New Indica range

He apprehended that the year ahead would be one of major challenges. “Higher fuel prices will negatively impact both commercial vehicles and passenger car sales.”

On plans for introducing a new Indica range, Mr. Tata said this was expected to be launched shortly.

source:hindu times