They said it's impossible. Many laughed at the idea itself. Some went into analytical mode and said it just cannot be done. Some wanted the project to be scrapped. Some wanted to ban it. One man's dream and his commitment to a promise made five years back took the entire world by surprise - the 'Nano' which by any means is not an apology of a car as many had expected.
It's sheer engineering excellence. The specs indicate a courageous act of breaking all barriers and limitations to deliver a car which promises much more than any one expected, applying multitudes of skills and knowledge to reach technology to common man.
In delivering the dream, the Tatas have lifted India to great heights and made the worldwide biggies wonder, "how on the earth did they do it?"
Just look at the reactions:
We cannot make a cheaper car. We don’t know how to make a 1 lakh car unless we sacrifice something. We won’t go below the 800 in our product line-up. Shinzo Nakanishi MD, MARUTI SUZUKI, INDIA BEFORE THE NANO LAUNCH
We have been considering the possibility of a mass car. So far, even our feeling was that such a car can’t be made, but we'll take a closer look at this and explore all possible ways. Arvind Saxena SENIOR VP, MARKETING & SALES, HYUNDAI
I haven't seen the car yet, but there must be something for us to learn from the viewpoint of manufacturing technology and costcutting measures. M Takedagawa PRESIDENT & CEO, HONDA SIEL CARS INDIA
Here is the brilliance of it.
- Dealer price of just one lakh, almost half the price of currently available cheapest car making it the world's cheapest car
- Addressing all safety concerns, they have come out with an all sheet-metal body, with safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat-belts, strong seats with the rear tailgate glass bonded to the body. As if these were not enough, they have added tubeless tyres which have also reduced the overall weight of the car..
-Environmental concerns: The nano promises to bring emission performances exceeding current regulatory requirements with an expected fuel efficiency (20 km/litre) along with low carbon dioxide emissions.
- Over hundered vendors had worked with the team for 3 years to make this a reality
This is COMMITMENT to deliver on a promise made. The value of the impact can only be undestood by counting the number of people who said it is not possible! In fact, it was almost a forgone conclusion that even if some one from Tatas had actually announced that the project will be kept in cold storage, every one would have understood and left it at that. But rely on the Tatas to deliver through engineering excellence and above all they have shown the real meaning of commitment, value & shown the world what it takes to keep a promise.
This could very well be the achievement of the millennium. India salutes. The world looks at him in awe. And, as if all these were his daily routine, the great man has quietly changed gears and has his sights firmly on the other end of cars with Ford.
A well kept promise that will change the way a nation drives.
'...A promise is a promise' Chairman Ratan Tata said as he announced the Tata Nano at a dealer price of one lakh rupees
