Tata Motors' "crown jewel", the Rs 1-lakh car project, set to create history in the automobile world, has evoked a lot of interest from across the globe.The dream car project of Rs 1-lakh car or $2,000 would be a collaborative effort of many MNCs, Ravi Kant, MD of Tata Motors, said. The company has been approached by OEMs of the world to collaborate and manufacture the car in their countries. However, Tata Motors was focused on the domestic market.Kant is confident that the car would be rolled out in 2008. The car was currently being tested and the technology had been chosen. More than 50% of vendors have been selected and in another few weeks, the company would have tied up all vendors and around the same time, it expects to get possession of the 997-acre land at Singur in West Bengal.The mother plant would be in Singur, which could supply many items to other plants for the project in the future.Kant's message to the stakeholders in the project, facing agitation from the Opposition was cautiously worded. Expressing satisfaction over the progress made by the state government, Kant said, consent for 927 acres had been received, which was extremely encouraging.However, speaking about the historical project, poised to change the dynamics of the automobile industry, Kant also said, "Bengal should not lose such an opportunity and any decision should be taken with a long-term consideration."The project would create direct employment of 2,000 and indirect would be more than 10,000. That apart, the small car initiative would bring 70-80 vendors to West Bengal."West Bengal has to decide what it wants to do.Would you like to have industrialisation in the state, or not," said Kant,"If we have done something for Pune on a scale of 10, given a chance, we are willing to do it on a scale of 25 for Bengal." To make it happen, the company is willing to talk to any stakeholder.Responding to queries on whether the company would consider scaling up its investment from Rs 1,000 crore, Kant said, "Let us first get returns from the Rs 1,000 crore, if that happens in a nice manner, we will see."
