Tata Nano: A Remarkable Success Story
The late Ratan Tata, a renowned industrialist and philanthropist, was laid to rest with full state honors on Thursday evening at a crematorium in central Mumbai. Mumbai police paid tribute and rendered a guard of honor. Family members, including Tata's stepbrother Noel Tata, and senior officials such as N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Tata Group, were present. Central Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister and Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, among others, also attended the ceremony. A religious figure at the crematorium noted that the last rites were performed according to Parsi traditions, with rituals planned to continue for three days at Tata's bungalow in Colaba, South Mumbai. Ratan Tata, who was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, passed away at the age of 86 in a city hospital on Wednesday night.
Beyond his business acumen, Ratan Tata undertook several significant social initiatives. The Tata Trust and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) collaborated to reduce poverty in the western districts of Rajasthan. IFAD, a specialized agency of the United Nations, works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various prominent figures, along with the public, expressed their condolences on Tata's passing, with some states observing official mourning. Maharashtra's Chief Minister announced state mourning, resulting in the national flag being flown at half-mast at all government offices in the state. Jharkhand’s Chief Minister Hemant Soren also declared a day of mourning in the state.
Rajasthan's Governor Kalraj Mishra, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, former Chief Ministers Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje, among others, expressed their condolences, highlighting Ratan Tata's role as a benefactor to Rajasthan.
Among the world’s most influential businessmen, Ratan Tata was known for his humility and simplicity, yet he never appeared on any billionaire lists. He headed over 30 companies spread across more than 100 countries on six continents, living a life akin to a saint.
Despite being a corporate giant, Tata lived with integrity and humility. He never married, although he came close to marriage four times, including once while he was in the United States.
Ratan Tata was visionary; he dedicated his business efforts to meet people's needs, constantly coming up with innovative ideas to improve lives. One such idea was to create a car affordable for every middle-class family, which he named the Nano. This was a dream project for Tata, and after its launch, the Tata Nano became a symbol of aspiration for many middle-class families, often referred to as the "people's car."
In 2008, Tata first unveiled the Nano at the Auto Expo in India, presenting it as an affordable alternative to motorcycles, aimed primarily at families. By 2009, Tata Motors officially launched the Nano, making it the cheapest car in India, priced at one lakh rupees. The Nano quickly captured public interest, leading to a surge in demand and a waiting list for potential buyers.
In a social media post, Ratan Tata shared his inspiration behind the Nano. He wrote, "I often saw people riding scooters with their families, where the children were sandwiched between the parents. This inspired me to create a car for them. My background in architecture allowed me to doodle in my spare time."
He continued, "Initially, we focused on making two-wheelers safer. My doodle evolved into a four-wheeler that had no windows or doors, resembling a simple carriage. However, I decided it should be a proper car. The Nano was designed for everyone."
The Tata Nano offered a mileage of 21.9 to 23.9 kilometers per liter, with the manual petrol variant achieving 23.9 km/l. The automatic variant offered 21.9 km/l, while the manual CNG variant provided 36 km/kg. Despite initial success, the Nano faced significant criticism, including reports of fires in several vehicles, raising safety concerns and damaging its reputation. Following protests against the Nano plant in Singur, West Bengal, Tata Motors had to shift the plant to Gujarat.
Calls have arisen across the country for Ratan Tata to be honored with the Bharat Ratna award. It remains to be seen whether the Indian government will respond to this public sentiment.
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