Anything that’s said about Tata Motors’ Nano makes for news, and why not, never before did we hear of a $2,100 car! At the recent roll out of the Nano from its Sanand (Gujarat) plant it enjoyed some added attention. Cornell University Assistant Professor, Aleksandr Mergold with his team of four assessed the future of the car. Mergold suggested that Cornell University is considering an U.S. exhibition of the Nano. The plant in Gujarat has been set up in just about 24 months.
Interestingly, Tata Motors and Cornell University go back a long way. Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group is a Cornell alumni. Cornell University some time back had received $50 million endowment from the Tata Education and Development Trust, a philanthropic entity of the Tata Group.
Tata’s Nano has garnered attention around the globe on its own merit, specifically based on its unique price point. The Gujarat plant was set up in record time and is all set to multiply production from 10,000 cars a month to 30,000 a month.
At presently, Nano is manufactured out of the Tata Pantnagar plant which is led by my friend P.K. Chobe.