Small and Standing Tall

Thats what I felt after I witnessed the little wonder - Tata Nano. The Media Day of the 9th Auto Expo was jam packed right from the first hour, and the only stall everyone was very eager to get into was that of Tata Motors. The Nano was unveiled by Mr. Ratan Tata, in the company of Mr. Kamal Nath.

The Press Conference was amazing. Everyone was so keen to have a look at the car, and there was one man everybody was in complete awe of - Ratan Tata. He is one person who stood by what he started out to deliver. With the launch of his One Lakh Car, I thought he would be touted as the Robin Hood - II of India Inc, with the first being Dhirubhai Ambani, but he turned out to be an entirely different thing with what he said and what he gave. When he said he has compromised on profits despite shooting raw material prices, and sealed the answer with "because a promise is a promise", the nation bowed in respect to him.
Coming to the car, it surely is a Common Man's Dream. In the Auto Expo itself, when we were on way to the stall where the Nano was on display, we stopped at AMW Group stall, and seeing a deluxe autorickshaw model there, we thought the Nano would be something like that. Many in the country speculated that the Nano would be a li'l better version of the omnipresent Bajaj Auto Rickshaw. But, Tata surprised everyone for Nano comes second to no car in styling. Though when you study the interiors, you feel like it isnt as tough as most of the other cars are. But, for a car of one lakh, we dont expect an SUV, do we?
One main question I wanted an answer for was the category of the vehicle. Was Tata a dreamer or a visionary? Is he a man who had a dream of a one lakh car and produced it for just about anyone or is he a visionary who looked to expand the car market exponentially? The answer was very clear. He definitely is a visionary who has opened the gates for a gigantic growth in Indian Car Market. For all those, like me, who wondered if Tata Nano could be a second car, the answer is a clear NO.

The pricing, the styling, the fuel efficiency and every other parameter goes on to say it is for everyone of us who wanted a car but couldn't afford it. For families tired of carrying kids on their bikes, for bachelors who saved less and spent more and hence could gather enough dough to buy a car for themselves, for the elders who had little savings but wanted a decent journey with no hassles. The car is entirely for city. Decent performance parameters, and good looks.

All in all, a total winner. Make way for the Nano. :)