The third Kolkata Auto Expo will not showcase the year's most awaited car, the Nano from the Tata Motors' stable, as the auto major is not participating in this year's fair.
The Nano was first unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo last year. It was scheduled for a launch in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal, but the launch has now been pushed back to March-end of 2009 following Tata Motors' pull out from Singur.
"Tata Motors is not participating in this year's fair, but talks are still on with the company.". said Sami Ahmed of Fair & Media(India), the organisers of the third Auto Expo at the Salt Lake Stadium grounds.
This year's fair would be attended by the likes of Hyundai Motors India Ltd, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd(MSIL),Ford India, General Motors India, Toyota Kirloskar Motors, Hindustan Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Mitsubishi Motors, among others, Fair & Media claimed.
Maruti would be showcasing its high-end models at the fair, informed S Kumar, corporate sales manager of MSIL. "Despite the downturn, sales in the eastern region has grown by nine per cent this year with the Alto as the highest selling model.", he added. He, however, declined to give details on the number of cars sold.
Ahmed claimed that last year's Auto Expo had generated business worth Rs 4.5 crore. He admitted at the same time that while they were expecting a footfall of around one lakh people during the four days of the fair, sales were likely to be impacted on account of the current slump in the car market.
The Auto Expo is scheduled between February 26 and March 1.