The much awaited people's car from Tata, Nano launched amidst a big cheering crowd yesterday at the Delhi annual auto show. priced at a sweet one lakh rupees wonly tag, it sure has caught not only the country but around the world, as media is spreading the news of the cute car's arrival almost everywhere... the cheapest car in the world...Time dubbed it an "upstart econobox'' And Popular Mechanics headlined its story "Nano Is the $2500 Car That Might Change the World," before the reporter hits the brakes..
too much for their optimism, some consider this sixth in the line of cars that changed the world - Ford Model T (1908 -the first mass car), Willys-Overland Jeep (1941- that 'won' the 2WWar),BMC Mini (1959- fun driving starts),Saab 93 (1958- protection ergonomics) Toyota Corolla (1966- reliability and radio on board)
and Tata Nano! to be sixth??! thrilling for us, the first from namma India.
this sure has made a lot of thoughts running in my mind which i would like to put it down here for discussion.
the pluses first :
the car is a boon for the rising middle-class of the country, definitely no doubt about it. millions of families riding dangerously as fours and fives! on motorbikes can now find this a big relief since it is now within reach. will reduce traveling stress of a big mass of people.. again, no doubt college goers (most would want it for the next academic year! paavam parents!) , IT/IT-ES employees, government servants, shop owners, small agricultural families, NGOs, foreign tourists on short stays, small travel firms, sales groups... everybody would love to get one.
it has all the basic features of a small car, comfortable, (in fact more space than M800), 20k/l and electronic controlled engine for smoother preformance and still more, 92% of M800's size.. cool.
Just a margin more than an enfield, many would think its a better deal and go for it in future. safer still, it is robust for its make, have passed collision tests and Bharat stage 3 and european emission norms. give them innum konjam cash, you can have A/C, power steering and ABS in the forth-coming deluxe models.
so much goodness and optimism in everyone... even rivals as M&M top execs who took a look at the car praised it to the press.
Mr.Ratan Tata would be so very happy and satisfied.. now that his dream came true at last. he made his word a deed braving all odds, rolling the car out of its plant in Singur, WB. the car would be spotted on roads this coming september.
now the consequences to face:
the car could easily break all sales records in the next decade to come and also cover a very wide market in regions like BRIC, african, asian and other south american countries too, in its expected overseas entry soon. Tata has always been very good as a Business house overseas, which could be advantageous in breaking market barriers and getting it on roads around the world.
the perspective in three levels : global, Indian and local
first, global :
the world is guzzling too much of oil.. too much... this car would only add to the smoke. millions of bikers switching to this car implies > oil demand, price rise, shortage, pollution rise... Co2 levels....
Environmentalists are very concerned about the mini bug's arrival. Greenpeace is already planning protests... so is, Mr. Pachauri ponravargaL...
Indian :
local transportation always being a sad failure or at most, a miserable excuse in most cities (Mumbai BEST and Chennai MTC more bearable) People would buy nano in big numbers... and Arasiyalvaadhis will not give a damn about speedy measures in improving the public buses and now can relax for a while in resorts and say everybody,
''Bus la vara mudiyalanaa, car la pongadaa... athaan oru lakshathukku vikkiraayngaLe..
apparamenna? athaan aayirakaNakkula sambaathikreengaLe.. namakku vera naraiyya vela irukku paa... pakistan theevravaathis oda orey ka(u)shtamappaa... athukku mela vivasaayees, industries, IT deals signings,womens issues, goondas... naan romba bisee... aduttha therthal vanthaa paappom... "
but they very well know AC MTC buses are a wasteful addition, much to attract the hip crowd... nyaayama speaking, we can always have two normal buses than a AC sinfaansee bus.arasiyal vaazhkaila ithellaam sagajamappaa...
Local Perspective:
we already are stifling under the worsestest road conditions. potholes, broken speedbreakers, blocked waterways, drains, absolutely insufficient parking spaces, non-existing flyovers where it is supposed to be, too many apartment buildings, too much of too muchs... adadadaaa... ithula ithu verayaa? mothalla road a ozhunga podungappaa.. apram pleasure car la pogalaam... naansans...
more to talk about... rather, discuss. come on !, what do you all guys think?
1 comment:
The one thing that took the world by storm last week was the Tata one lakh , it certainly turned a lot of heads around the world .Yahoo Finance , a predominantly American website quitely tracking the world of finance screamed "Cheapest car in the world unveiled" certaly true .A lot of patriotic (last refuge of a scounderlel)squabbling was in theprint media and mass media.India is projected to have an overall potential to swallow 10,00,000 cars in the coming years .
But let us set aside all that for a second .The nobel prize winner this year came out chinding that this will be an environmenatl disaster .He is absolutely spot on .We have no space in the city to have another 100,000 cars every year.
what a country like India needs is an offordable Public trasnsport system coverng every part of the city in short time something in the lines of Delhi metro.Consumerism is killing the planet .We are going on a fast track mode of destruction , despite enough technology to move towards plug in Hybrids and fuel cell cars.The manufacturers are reluctant to look at antything other than their sales volumes.
If this sorry trend continues and this venture becomes a sucess .It is our collective failure to have failed to make a better world .A capitalist disaster.
We have a lot to think about such ventures before it becomes too late.
P.Aswin Kumar
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