The ambitious Rs 1-lakh car project of Tata Motors is running behind schedule, but Ratan Tata, chairman, Tata Sons, hopes that it would achieve top speed to make up for lost time."The project is getting delayed," Tata said on the sidelines of Tata Tea's 44th annual general meeting.But he hopes there would be no time overrun in the project - whose first car is expected to be rolled out in the second half of 2008."I do not want to give the feeling that the project itself is getting delayed, but we will use our capability to overcome the delay," Tata said.Asked to give a date for the rollout due to the delay, Tata said that he did not want to give a specific date."There are vested interests working and we do not want to give a date," he said.Tata also said that he would like to visit Singur.Referring to the controversy over land acquisition for the car project in Singur, Tata said that the project would lift farmers from a life of poverty.Stating that West Bengal had been ignored by the industry due to the government there, however, Tata Motors had decided to locate the plant at Singur because it believed that somebody would have to make a start.
