The real test of Tata Nano has begun, with the company delivering the first three cars to the much awaited customers in Mumbai. On Friday, the company delivered the top variant of Nano to Ashok Raghunath Vichare, a retired customs officer, Ashish Balakrishnan, an employee of HDFC Bank and S.K Thirani, chairman. Kores (India) Ltd. They are amongst the one lakh lucky customers chosen through random selections process of the total 2.03 lakh customers, pan India.
Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Motors, said, ?I hope Tata Nano will bring motoring pleasure to those who will be buying their first car as also those who currently own cars but want a modern, contemporary, emission-friendly city car.? As planned, Tata Motors has commenced deliveries of the Tata Nano this month to different towns and cities of the country. Despatches to dealerships have begun from the Pantnagar plant, where the car is being produced, in accordance with schedules informed to customers.
Says 30-year old Balakrishnan, ?I plan to take the car out tomorrow on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The cost of the car was the deciding factor for the purchase. Though the car being not available for test drive played a hindrance, I believed in the Tatas and bought the car.? Following three deliveries on Friday, the company will be delivering another six cars in the city next week, said Tata Motors’ largest dealer in the city.
Tata Motors had planned to manufacture a common man’s car in 2003, launched it in 2008 and finally in 2009, handed it over. During its journey from plant to roads, the project witnessed several obstacles. The controversy over the land acquisition forced Ratan Tata to abandon Singur and shift the Nano’s production to Gujarat. While the company has begun the delivery of Nano, production capacity still remains a constraint till the Nano mother plant in Sanand in Gujarat commences by this year-end.