Nano, claimed to be the world's smallest and cheapest car, rolled out of the assembly line at its new plant at Sanand, near Ahmedabad, on Wednesday raising the hopes of the lower and middle class families in the country of fulfilling the dream of owning a four-wheeler.
The inauguration of the plant, which was shifted from Singur in West Bengal amidst stormy political upheaval, was again marred by a stormy weather caused by a depression over the Arabian Sea creating an effect of a cyclonic storm. The fully air-conditioned temporary structure erected for holding the inaugural ceremony came crashing down soon after the inauguration forcing the authorities to cancel a scheduled media conference to be held at the same venue.
The elaborate “flagging off” ceremony of the nine Nano cars by the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, and the Tata group Chairman, Ratan Tata, had to be abandoned as the VIPs had to scurry for cover in rains and stormy winds and the ceremony was “taken as performed.” The stormy winds also caused collapse of a portion of the ceiling at the plant and the decorated entrance gate on the main road while a number of electrical polls and plants were uprooted. The Nano cars driven by prospective customers selected through an on-line contest, later left for their 12,000 km voyage to different parts of the country to showcase the product in about 40 cities and towns on the way before returning to Sanand on June 28.
Earlier speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Mr. Tata promised to give “more surprises” to Mr. Modi. He said on way from Ahmedabad airport to Sanand on helicopter, Mr. Modi had asked him what were the group's plans for the future for further development. “I will give you surprises,” was all that I told him, Mr. Tata said, hinting that the group had several projects on the anvil and be a part of the rapid progress of the state.
Mr. Tata hugely complimented Mr. Modi and the State administration, without which he said he would not have succeeded in fulfilling the dreams of the millions of the lower and middle class families to own a car.
He said what he experienced in West Bengal that forced him to close down the shop at Singur and come to Sanand, the “Gujarat experience was unique.” He said while giving the offer to shift to Gujarat Mr. Modi had told him that the Nano was not Tata's project only, “We together will do it” and true to the promise the entire administration stood by the group to enable it to complete the shifting and start the assembly line in a record time of just 19 months.
He recalled his famous one-liner what he had told the prospective investors at the “Vibrant Gujarat” investors' summit in 2007 after seeing the all-round development of the state, “You are stupid if you are not in Gujarat.” He said he was “one of them then. But “I don't feel I am to be stupid any more now that I am in Gujarat,” he said.
Mr. Modi while returning the compliments said Gujarat would feel happy in hosting the plant because every proud owner of a Nano car would know that what they were riding had come from this state. He said he was particularly happy for the Tata's “second home-coming.” The Tatas originally hailed from Gujarat but had left the state to set up projects elsewhere. “I am happy that the Tatas have now returned to their original home,” he said. He said the state would be eagerly waiting to see what “surprises” the Tatas had in store for the future development and become a partner in the state's steady progress.
Pointing out that though he was always keen that the Tatas should have a project in Gujarat, Mr. Modi said he did not offer him to shift the Nano to the state till Mr. Tata announced that he was forced to close down the Singur plant and was “looking for another home.” He said the Nano project was also an eye-opener to the state administration as how the corporate world functioned efficiently and expeditiously. “It was a combination of efficiency of the Tatas and the good governance of the state administration that the project could be completed in a record time,” he said.
The Sanand plant set up at a cost of about Rs. 2,000 crore, would have the capacity to produce 2.50 lakh cars per annum to be achieved in phases and was expandable up to 3.50 lakh cars a year.
