Indian Autos Thread

satya · Post by **satya** » 12 Sep 2008 15:37

IMHO, Bio-fuels only from Jatropha a good solution for India , use of any other edible oil will be inflation receipe . We are already import 30% if not more of our edible oil requirements . Jatropha based bio-fuel is still in nascent stage , havent gone beyond nurseries selling jatropha saplings but on paper with current price level , commercially viable .

Dual-price policy for diesel will increase the value of rural area located petrol pumps tht will be first in queue to sell the diesel in urban areas ( in black ofcourse). Irony is this BK Chaturvedi committee took almost year or more to arrive at this way to increase corruption and create another black hole in Govt. finances .

If Govt. is so conscious of diesel being used in cars & other pvt vehicles , better put up a special annual tax on such vehicles using diesel engine , tht way there will be lesser chance of corruption and govt. wont feel the pinch of subsidies .

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 12 Sep 2008 15:46

Rahul M wrote:
20% biofuel blending in auto fuel by 2017
it would be an incredibly stupid decision to divert Indian agricultural land from food production to this. moving towards fuel cells/battery cars would have been better.

The report is not specific about the fuel but my guess is they are talking about Jatropha oil. indian railways is successfully running many of it's deisel engines on Jatropha oil. it is costs less, and saves foreign exchange, wasteland is converted to productive source of income for poor landholders, less pollution and most important another step towards the goal of energy independence.
also this wiki page maybe helpful.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 12 Sep 2008 16:05

avinash, the problem is in the figure 20%. to generate that amount of bio-diesel, agricultural land would have to be replaced.
Calvin did an analysis once (don't remember which thread) and showed the fallacy behind trying to substitute petro-diesel with bio-diesel. better way would be to move away from fuel burning machines as much as possible.
IR grows jatropha on it's land, so the question of diverting agro land does not arise. Also, it's moving away from diesel towards full electrification in a big way. there would be very few diesel locos in IR by the end of the next decade, if any.

amit · Post by **amit** » 12 Sep 2008 16:45

Rahul M wrote:avinash, the problem is in the figure 20%. to generate that amount of bio-diesel, agricultural land would have to be replaced.
Calvin did an analysis once (don't remember which thread) and showed the fallacy behind trying to substitute petro-diesel with bio-diesel. better way would be to move away from fuel burning machines as much as possible.
IR grows jatropha on it's land, so the question of diverting agro land does not arise. Also, it's moving away from diesel towards full electrification in a big way. there would be very few diesel locos in IR by the end of the next decade, if any.

Rahul,

In the nuke thread eons ago, in response to some interesting claims on bio-fuels as an alternative to nuclear energy (yes nothing wrong with your eyes or my typing) by a member who has since been shaeedized, I had pointed out some links about the harmful effects of bio-fuels. Unfortunately I haven't saved those links.

However, there's a few others, I suggest folks here read them and also do some research. Let me say this. Largescale bio-fuel use (20 per cent blending in India would qualify for mega-largescale) would be an unmitigated disaster.

Links:

The Coming Biofuels Disaster

A Disaster in the Making

Rahul, I'm totally with you on the electric motors on vehicles is the way to go. The big car companies have deliberately stunted research on this area while oil was cheap. Now's the time of some innovative research in India.

Maybe Ratan Tata could look at the feasibility of putting an electric/oil combo engine in the Nano at a future date like the Toyota Pirrus. That, along with its size, could make it an ideal city commute car.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 12 Sep 2008 16:48

Rahul M wrote:avinash, the problem is in the figure 20%. to generate that amount of bio-diesel, agricultural land would have to be replaced.

rahul, there is a specific mention of using wastelands to grow oil seeds in the report.

The ministry of panchayati raj is also working with a couple of state governments, wherein community-owned wastelands are given to farmers to grow bio-fuel crops, Rawat said.

converting agricultural land to grow bio-fuel crops would be politically suicidal for the govt and economically for the country.even congress knows this.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 12 Sep 2008 16:52

TATA already has a joint project with ISRO to investigate into fuel cell tech.
it also bought a tech that uses compressed air to run cars. I hope all these will become a part of their small car family by 2012-13 and the govt gives massive tax concessions to such products.
if they do it, other auto makers will have to follow suit.

I just have a word of advice for them on this issue, for the second tech, think of our strat fora as a prime source !

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 12 Sep 2008 16:56

rahul, there is a specific mention of using wastelands to grow oil seeds in the report.

which is really good. but the problems will arise if the babus create a quota of 20%.

growing jatropha to extract bio-diesel with the govt making it fruitful by creating an appropriate revenue structure could change the face of the naxalite badlands. but govt controlling and pushing it would be a bad idea. govt should limit themselves to creating regulations and enforcement of the same. else, it would be a recipe for disaster.

Nayak · Post by **Nayak** » 12 Sep 2008 16:59

Tanaji wrote:Mullah Nayak uddin

One word: Rice!

/Ducks and Runs for cover..

Je nas comprende pas!!!

What does it mean ?

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 12 Sep 2008 22:57

Mamata returns to her old ways. more tamasha.

Singur talks break down
Kolkata, Sep 12
The talks over the Nano land controversy between the West Bengal government and farmers' groups led by the Trinamool Congress collapsed Friday evening, with opposition leader Mamata Banerjee walking out of the talks, claiming that while the farmers demanded return of 400 acres of farmland 'forcibly' taken over for the project, the government was willing to give back only 70 acres.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Sep 2008 08:54

heh, the bongs finally blew it
bah, no matter, their loss is somebody else's gain
what was Tata thinking anyway, by going there?

Nano finally hits a dead end in Singur
13 Sep, 2008, 0533 hrs IST,Tamal Sengupta & Manisha Choudhury, ET Bureau

KOLKATA: Finally, it appears like it’s curtains at Singur. At the end of the late-night talks between West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee on Friday, it was finally a dead end.

Mamata did not budge from her stand that the West Bengal government should honour the agreement it had signed for giving up 300 acres inside the Nano complex. Buddhadeb could not go more than 70 acres, because he said the Tatas wouldn’t agree to it.

Reports coming in from the CM’s office indicate that a formal letter would now go on behalf of the state government to the Tatas, saying that all efforts to break the stalemate have failed, and that it can do no more. The onus will then be on the Tatas to do whatever it wants to do. Mamata Banerjee has started questioning the credibility of agreements to which the state government and chief minister were party.

The agreements of September 7 did mention the fact that ’maximum’ land from inside the project area would be given back. There were, however, no numbers quoted officially in the agreement.

Mamata Banerjee had, subsequently, broadcast the 300-acre figure loudly. Whether the CM had agreed to giving 300 acres from inside the project area even unofficially, will never be known.

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 13 Sep 2008 09:14

Nayak wrote:
Tanaji wrote:Mullah Nayak uddin

One word: Rice!

/Ducks and Runs for cover..
Je nas comprende pas!!!

What does it mean ?

He's calling you a ricer. Google for "ricer" or "ricer boy" for explanation

.
Read What is a Rice Boy? here for details.
You might want to read this article.
Point #8 seems to apply to you.

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 13 Sep 2008 12:12

Tata no longer reporting Jaguar and Rover sales in US
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/12/tata ... r-the-u-s/

Fans of our monthly By the Numbers posts may have noticed the conspicuous absence of sales data for both Jaguar and Land Rover over the past few months. The reason we haven't included their sales figures is because we haven't been able to find them since Ford handed over ownership of the two British brands to Tata. The automaker from India says that it will no longer report U.S. sales data for its two newest assets because of what it calls a strategy that "stresses quality over quantity." A spokeswoman for Jaguar tells Ward's Auto that the brands were forced to report their numbers when owned by Ford and now, since they're privately owned by Tata, they don't have to. She also notes that the sales figures could create a "distorted and potentially harmful commentary." Yeah, we suppose that happens when you sell a fraction of what your competition does. Still, Jaguar is missing out on an opportunity to revel in the relative success of its new XF, which we know has bumped up the brand's pitiful sales performance in the U.S. Regardless, By the Numbers will no longer include spots for Jaguar and Land Rover unless someone wants to go out and count their sales by hand. Thanks for the tip, Joaquin!

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Nayak · Post by **Nayak** » 14 Sep 2008 18:54

Tanaji wrote: /Ducks and Runs for cover..

Anyways, I do it to satisfy my ego of seeing my car decked up, not get into a pi$$ing contest about how fast it is.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 16 Sep 2008 01:16

Nayak wrote:Managed time to jazz moi car. Got the following things done -

a] Seat covers - Art Leather / dual tone - 4,800
b] Steering wheel cover - 400
c] fibre glass wing on the rear - 2600
d] Snazzy Exhaust Pipe - 400
e] Power windows - 12,500
f] Brighter interior LED lights - 200
g] Ambipur - complimentary

Need to do next time I am back -

Alloy rims
Graphics
DVD player and a Screen combo
Snazzier speakers.

Getting adoring looks from PYTs on the road: Priceless!

bart · Post by **bart** » 16 Sep 2008 01:26

Raja Bose wrote:
Nayak wrote:Managed time to jazz moi car. Got the following things done -

a] Seat covers - Art Leather / dual tone - 4,800
b] Steering wheel cover - 400
c] fibre glass wing on the rear - 2600
d] Snazzy Exhaust Pipe - 400
e] Power windows - 12,500
f] Brighter interior LED lights - 200
g] Ambipur - complimentary

Need to do next time I am back -

Alloy rims
Graphics
DVD player and a Screen combo
Snazzier speakers.
Getting adoring looks from PYTs on the road: Priceless!

Umm...aren't we referring to a Maruti Alto here?

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 16 Sep 2008 02:56

The honored mullah is piling all that haraam hardware on top of an Alto

Ya'allah! What next....a Mushhak which flies using kufr aero-engine instead of jinn power?!@

bart wrote:
Raja Bose wrote: Getting adoring looks from PYTs on the road: Priceless!

Umm...aren't we referring to a Maruti Alto here?

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Sep 2008 11:52

interesting..peak flat torque from 1500rpm+. thats very much like a pickup truck isnt it?

Dileep · Post by **Dileep** » 18 Sep 2008 14:57

The snobs who use that injin should be sold to a Saudi Oil sheikh as a $3x slave!!!

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 19 Sep 2008 14:31

pandyan wrote:VW has another 1.3L engine with super charger <->turbo charger that switches over when the engine rpm reaches certain level. novel way to produce fuel efficient but powerful cars;

When all things are the same, the only difference between a turbo and a super charger is where it draws the power to drive the turbine. A turbocharger gets power from the exhaust. A super charger takes power directly out of the engine - which takes more power out of engine.

Typically racing cars are super charged because they want more power and don't care about fuel. If it is turbocharged you get lesser fuel consumption but lesser power compared to a super charged engine, but still more power than a non-charged engine.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 19 Sep 2008 18:43

When all things are the same, the only difference between a turbo and a super charger is where it draws the power to drive the turbine. A turbocharger gets power from the exhaust. A super charger takes power directly out of the engine - which takes more power out of engine.

Gus Ji a turbocharger will use the expand the exhaust gases and produce power to generate supercharged air pumped into the combustion chambers inducted by electronically controlled valves at the appropriate stroke juncture to increase compression ratios and thus generate more power delivered per stroke, increasing fuel efficiency too in the process. Superchargers don't really take power directly out of engines, do they?

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 20 Sep 2008 08:56

harbans: The basic idea is that the more fuel you burn during the engine's combustion cycle = more power. The problem is that when you have the air in your cylinder, there's only a certain amount of oxygen present in it. So when you add the fuel to be burned, you can only burn as much fuel as the oxygen in that air will allow to be burned. If you add more fuel into your cylinder, the extra fuel simply passes out unburned.

So obviously to burn more fuel, you'll need to add more oxygen into the cylinder. One solution is to use an air-compressor so that you can pump more air during the intake cycle. More air = More oxygen, which means more fuel can now be burned in the cylinder. Now the question becomes, how does this air-compressor get powered.

One way to do this would be to directly connect the compressor to the engine's crankshaft via a belt, shaft, chain, gearbox etc. This would be a supercharger.

Another way would be to use a turbine near the exhaust port that is driven by the exhaust gases. The turbine is connected to the compressor. This energy contained in the escaping exhaust gases would have normally been wasted if you didn't have the turbine. This is what is called a turbo-charger.

To make the turbine rotate efficiently, there needs to be a certain volume of exhaust gas flow to make it do so. This is why turbochargers cannot kick in below a certain engine RPM. Also when you push on the gas pedal, there is a certain amount of lag time before the exhaust gases can spin up the turbine to the increased speed, due to time taken to build more pressure + rotational inertia. This doesn't happen on a supercharger since it is directly connected to the engine. On the other hand, a turbocharger recycles some of the energy in the exhaust gases that would have gone to waste otherwise.

Some vehicles use the best of both -- i.e. a supercharger for lower RPMs and once enough exhaust pressure is built up, the turbocharger comes into play and the supercharger may either be disconnected or contributes along with the turbocharger. These are what are called twinchargers.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 21 Sep 2008 07:54

Don't worry, once electric vehicles are available, you won't have to deal with the pecularities of combustion. Everyone will get maximum acceleration from electric motors, which are most efficient under load. And since everything will be solid-state, the wear and tear along with the repair bills should be much lower.

Nayak · Post by **Nayak** » 24 Sep 2008 14:11

Karnataka is on the forefront for tata's investment in people's car.

bart · Post by **bart** » 24 Sep 2008 15:31

Tata actually does not need any new land. They have already huge pockets of land at Uttranchal etc, in fact the first batches of Nano will roll out from Pantnagar. They also could easily build it from existing land in the MAH area except that the labor costs are higher so they would tend to go to a rural area.

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 25 Sep 2008 03:34

Tata Motors stock appears to have fallen to a historic low. The stock looks to have essentially bottomed out. My thinking is it can only go up from here. I think I may buy a good chunk Tata Motors stock - any thoughts?

satya · Post by **satya** » 25 Sep 2008 15:21

Tata Motors stock appears to have fallen to a historic low. The stock looks to have essentially bottomed out. My thinking is it can only go up from here. I think I may buy a good chunk Tata Motors stock - any thoughts?

There will be a rights issue by Tata Motors in Oct primarily to pay for Landrover purchase in UK . Also there's still running loss on this Landrover-Jaguar models ( 360 mill $) this quarter .

If you are in for a long haul then go ahead , in short term , it will be a very bumpy ride , so be careful , there r no scalping gains available IMHO in this stock . Funding is not so easily available perhaps the rights issue can give an idea how the investors respond to Tata Motors.

JMTs

bart · Post by **bart** » 25 Sep 2008 15:26

There is a misunderstanding about the 'loss' being reported, which TM has themselves clarified. JLR actually made a profit, but due to financial juggling by Ford to cover its other loss making operations and debt payments etc they have been shown making a loss, that too for the period up till July, which is when it was under Ford operations. TM doesn't have any of those liabilities and it should be profit-making from day 1.

bart · Post by **bart** » 25 Sep 2008 23:08

New Honda City has been released today. Killer features and pricing.

It has promptly been christened ANHC (All New Honda City) at Team BHP.

In keeping with the tradition of:
OHC = Old Honda City
NHC = New Honda City
NNHC = New New Honda City

Vina Saar,

IIRC you were waiting for this model...I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the pricing.

Y. Kanan · Post by **Y. Kanan** » 27 Sep 2008 01:31

satya, bart - interesting, I thought the Jaguar-Landrover acquisition was a completely done deal.

How do you feel about the Tata Nano? Do you foresee the Nano as a big profit-maker for Tata, or do you see it as a loss-taker intended to seize market share but not neccesarily be profitable?

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 28 Sep 2008 09:01

Remember how small Japanese cars made strong inroads into the US market when the oil prices soared upwards in the 1970s. Likewise, with this global economic crunch happening, India's cheaper cars need to be positioned to make inroads into the global markets, including even the US.

amitmas · Post by **amitmas** » 01 Oct 2008 11:47

The new Honda City certainly seems to be a loaded machine at a fair price. Issue being there is 2 month wait before one can lay hands on it. I am waiting for a test drive to see if they have been able to put some zing in this model as honestly the old city was a dud when it came to driving pleasure.

Anyone here who has test driven the new model?

niran · Post by **niran** » 01 Oct 2008 15:34

The out going model had 88hp of engine power, the incoming have 120hp at 6600 rpm.
this is the spec for The land of smiles. This increase in hp with onlee 19kg increase in
weight should translate into some zing, no? BTW Honda Zazz is for sheer driving pleasure.
it have the same motor and is lighter by 108 kg, you can do the math.

Tanaji · Post by **Tanaji** » 03 Oct 2008 19:08

No Nano from Singur
http://specials.rediff.com/money/2008/oct/03sli1.htm

Congratulations Mamta did, you have done all W. Bengalis proud.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 04 Oct 2008 11:01

Those idiots got what they deserved. They should quarantine that worthless state by building a giant wall around it. Then Bollywood can film Escape from Kolkata.

Anyway, here's a Businessweek article on electric cars that puts Reva on the top of the list:

Gearing Up: Electric Cars Are Fast Becoming Real

Reva Electric Car Company

Reva

Speed: 35 mph (60 km/h)
Range: 50 mi (80 km)
Availability: Now

Twenty years in the making, the Reva has quietly become the world's biggest selling electric car, with nearly 3,000 already trolling the roads of India and Europe. In London alone, 1,000 of the vehicles are in use. Technically considered a quadricycle, the $10,000 Reva runs on a pack of eight lead-acid batteries—instead of the more widely used lithium ion units—and can drive only about 50 miles on an eight-hour charge. As a result of its popularity, the company plans to manufacture 5,000 to 6,000 more Revas next year.

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 04 Oct 2008 17:55

There are inside rumours that TATA Nano may establish plant in Sanghan Village near Mundra and this will be announced officially on 7th by both Ratan TATA and Modi together. However, its just a flying guess.

Zin · Post by **Zin** » 04 Oct 2008 18:10

Gujarat Inc keeping fingers crossed on bagging Nano
7 hours ago
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bus ... 041102.htm

AHMEDABAD: With the Tata Motors announcement to exit Singur, the Gujarat Inc is keeping its fingers crossed that the State might bag the multi-crore project.

“The state has offered three strategic locations to Tata Motors, for setting up the Nano plant in Gujarat,'' says President of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Rupesh Shah. “The three strategic locations offered to the Tata group for sett ing up Nano plant here are Mundra in Kutch district, Charodi in Sanand taluka of Ahmedabad district and one location in Surat district,'' Mr Shah told PTI.

“We are keeping our fingers crossed on the issue,'' he said. Though the state government is tight-lipped on the issue, sources said that they have adopted back-channel methods to woo Tata motors to start a plant in the State.

“There is nothing happening now on the issue of Nano,'' State Chief Secretary D Rajgopalan said. While making announcement to quit Singur, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata this evening said in Kolkata, “we are exploring offers from three to four States''.

Inside rumours

ashish raval wrote:There are inside rumours that TATA Nano may establish plant in Sanghan Village near Mundra and this will be announced officially on 7th by both Ratan TATA and Modi together. However, its just a flying guess.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 04 Oct 2008 19:04

Will Nano drive into Ahmedabad?

Even as the race to woo prestigious Nano project hots up, it may well be a drive from Singur to Sanand in Ahmedabad district for the Tatas
’ small car project.

The Tatas have been offered land belonging to Gujarat Agricultural University (Anand) at Chharodi and Charal villages in Sanand taluka, about 25 km west of Ahmedabad. The land has emerged as the strongest contender in Gujarat for the Nano plant, even though locations at Mundra in Kutch, Maroli in Navsari, Prantij in Sabarkantha and Padra in Vadodara are also being considered. The nearly 2,200 acres of land under the GAU, which was gifted in 1899 by the British for setting up a cattle farm, is currently being used for cattle breeding and seed and crop cultivation.

The otherwise isolated farm has lately been abuzz with activity, thanks to the frequent visits by top government officials accompanied by Tata’s land scouts. “Something is definitely cooking. In the past five days many government officials have visited the site for surveys,” an GAU employee at Chharodi told TOI. Incidentally, construction work on nearly 250 acres of GAU land that had been allocated to Gujarat Livestock Development Board for putting up a veterinary complex is learnt to have been stalled, indicating that plans had changed. Even as the Gujarat government is playing its cards close to its chest, revenue department sources said Chharodi was on the verge of being finalised and an announcement was likely to be made shortly.

Though minister of state for industries Saurabh Patel refused to comment, a senior government official said Gujarat’s principal secretary (industries) Gauri Kumar was directly in parleys with Tata Motors officials and had asked state revenue department to identify sites of over 1000 acres.

However, sources said Tata’s scouts were finding Chharodi the most viable spot because of its locational advantages — proximity to ports like Kandla and Mundra, a big city like Ahmedabad and an engineering hub of Rajkot. Besides, being along the Delhi-Mumbai-Industrial Corridor will be a distinct advantage.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 04 Oct 2008 19:10

Gujarat on Tatas’ radar for Nano plant?

Among the locations to shift the Rs 1,500-crore Nano plant from Singur in West Bengal, Tata Motors is reported to be seriously considering Gujarat where General Motors already has a plant and Maruti will soon have a port terminal at Mundra.

According to reports, Mr Ratan Tata, who said an emotional good-bye to Singur this evening, is likely to meet the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, on October 7 in this regard. Tata Motors officials have already met the State Government representatives in recent weeks. But Ministers and officials have refrained from commenting on the Nano issue.

Gujarat may emerge as a better choice for logistical reasons and a satisfactory industrial and labour environment in the State. The State, like West Bengal, is well-connected by air, sea and land routes. Besides, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) passing two-thirds through Gujarat and the proposed Special Investment Region (SIR) would soon make it even more attractive.

“You are stupid if you are not investing in Gujarat!”, Mr Ratan Tata had said publicly while addressing a mammoth gathering of industrialists and businessmen at the ‘Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit’ in January 2007 here, in what is now seen as his likely choice of this State for relocating the Nano plant.

In view of Mr Tata’s remarks in Kolkata today that the company was exploring offers from three to four states and that Tata Motors would eventually have more than one Nano plant, at least one of these plants may be located in Gujarat.

Recently, Sanand, 30 km from Ahmedabad, is reported to have emerged as a likely destination for the Nano plant, where the State Government may offer 1,000 acres of land to the Tatas, out of the 2,200 acres owned by Gujarat Agriculture University (GAU) in the area.

Construction work on these premises was suddenly stopped recently. Among the other likely places, should the Tatas decide upon Gujarat , are Savli in the Panchmahals district (where GM already has a plant, near Vadodara), Mundra (Kutch), Prantij (Himmatnagar), Padra (Vadodara) and Maroli (Navsari).

According to sources, the State Government could also offer 200 acres of land at Savli for the mother Nano project. The authorities had, some time ago, decided to cancel allotment of this land earmarked for a biotech park. Vadodara is centrally located between Delhi and Mumbai and is well-connected by road, rail and air routes.

Another 800 acres of land required for ancillary units could be offered in the adjoining the Panchmahals or Bhavnagar districts. Already, about 30 per cent parts of Nano are being manufactured at Rajkot. Land is also available in Banaskantha, Kutch, Rajkot and Jamnagar districts, as it is owned by Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), the nodal agency for industrial matters, and there is no problem in land acquisition.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 05 Oct 2008 01:20

I hope Karnataka gets the project, it would definitely give a boost to industrialization of N Karnataka which sorely needs it. Looks like the karnataka govt is pulling all stops to convince TATAs to shift here.

States vie for Nano project

States vie for Nano project

Karnataka-Tata talks in Dharwad today.

Our Bureaus

Bangalore/Dharwad, Oct. 4 The Karnataka Government has moved into top gear on the Nano car project and quickly organised a high-level meeting with the Tata Motors Managing Director, Mr Ravi Kant, at Dharwad on Sunday morning.

The Industry Minister, Mr Murugesh Nirani, who travelled from Bijapur to Dharwad on Saturday, told Business Line that the Chief Secretary, Mr Sudhakar Rao, was joining the meeting and site inspection slated to begin at 9 a.m. The Industry Secretary, Mr V.Umesh, Finance Secretary, Mr M.R.Sreenivasa Murthy, the Industries Commissioner, Dr Rajkumar Khatri, and land acquisition officials from the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) would also be there.

Mr Ravi Kant is said to be coming with Mr P.M.Telang, who is a board director and Executive Director (Commercial Vehicles), and four senior officials. A spokesman for the Tata group said he could not comment on the movements of the company’s brass.

The B.S.Yeddyurappa Government raised the Nano pitch on Friday soon after Mr Ratan Tata announced he was pulling the Nano project out of Singur. Mr Yeddyurappa immediately called up Mr Tata to invite him to Dharwad, where already two Tata projects are present. Mr Nirani said he had held talks with Mr Ravi Kant twice.

The Tata officials were expected to give their views after a week as Mr Tata was travelling. Karnataka has been hard-selling Dharwad to the Tatas ever since the company said it started looking out of Singur. It has already offered “all help” and 1,000 acres of land near the two existing Tata plants: one is a 51:49 joint venture for CNG buses – Tata Marcopolo Motors Ltd – and the other is the earth moving venture with Hitachi-Telco Construction Equipment Co Ltd (Telcon).

Karnataka is pitching the site also on the ground that it is close to NH4 and on the way to the company’s Pune auto facility. The offer was made to Mr Ravi Kant when he met the Chief Minister on September 18. Two Tata teams have visited Bangalore and Dharwad, one just four days back.

Without elaborating, Mr Umesh merely said they had discussed land, water and power requirements and would offer incentives similar to those given to the earlier Tata projects or the other car plant – the Toyota Kirloskar venture at Bidadi.

Earlier in Dharwad, the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa, inaugurating the Agri Fair of the University of Agricultural Sciences, said the State’s Major and Medium Industries Minister, Mr Murugesh Nirani, had been asked to make efforts to bring the small-car project to Dharwad. “If Nano comes to Dharwad, it will boost the development of the region,” he said.

When the mediapersons asked Mr Yeddyurappa on the progress made in attracting the project to Dharwad, he said the State had held two rounds of discussions. Mr Nirani would hold another round of talks.

Ready to help

Asked if the region has the land required to meet the needs of the Nano project, Mry Yeddyurappa said: “We are ready to provide all kinds of facilities to the Tatas if they are ready to come here. We are making sincere efforts to bring the Nano project to Dharwad.”

ashish raval · Post by **ashish raval** » 05 Oct 2008 02:46

Ravi,
Karnataka in my opinion will pull all stops to get Nano project. Maharastra too is a dark horse. Tamil Nadu could also get it as it has very well developed auto industry. Gujarat may get it as it is thought that there will be several Nano projects. It could be now or some years later. Officials are however, tightleaped as the race is very close.