Ratan Tata, Chairman for Tata Motors held Singur unrest as responsible for Nano hatchback's unprecedented underwhelming sales. Voilent protests against land acquisition delayed the anticipated project's launch by nearly a year. As per Mr Tata, the delay resulted in killing of the 'excitement' level. Moreover, the relocation to Gujarat from Singur came at a high relocation cost.
Ratan Tata said the move was risky, but was indeed unavoidable. Moreover, when he was questioned on Bengal development post the scenario, he said, “While driving from Rajarhat, it is unbelievable to see new buildings coming up. But it still looks like a countryside, undeveloped. I do not see much signs of industrial development.” This statement has been strongly backlashed by the state government who have taken this as a projection in negative light for West Bengal.
Speaking more on shift delay, Ratan Tata said, “there was a general disbelief generated about the car, competitors got a chance to start bad-mouthing the Nano. By that time, much of the excitement was lost.” With the rise in dollar price, the Rs. 1 Lakh car also became slightly expensive with time. Back in 2012 sales for Nano were at at its peak with 74,500 units sales, but this steadily dipped over time.
