Stung by Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata's accusation that competitors were fuelling controversy over its small-car project at Singur in West Bengal, Maruti today dared the Tatas to name the competitor."I don't know which competitor he is talking about. Since he has the knowledge, he should tell it," Jagdish Khattar, managing director and CEO, Maruti Udyog, said today.Asked about Tata's comments last month to a private television channel that he suspected the hands of competitors in the controversy, Khattar said: "We don't do all these things (scuttling a rival's project). We believe in healthy competition." This is not the first time the two major car makers are invloved in public sparring over the small car, also known as the Rs 1 lakh car, that is scheduled for roll-out in 2008.Last year, Osamu Suzuki, chief executive of Suzuki Motor Corp, the parent of Maruti, had ridiculed the Tata project, saying it was not feasible and could only be a cheap product.Suzuki had said in the advent of the planned stricter safety and environment norms, producing such low-cost cars was not possible unless the government made some exceptions.Tatas had then maintained that they would roll out a good product within the projected price. Ratan Tata said his 'people's car' would not be a cheap three-wheeler with an additional wheel, but would be a proper family car, which could seat four-five passengers.Subsequent obstacles by way of protests by political parties and civil society groups over acquisition of land for the project prompted Ratan Tata to suspect the involvement of Tata Motors' rivals in the controversy.
