75 Tata ancillaries to set up units at Pantnagar

Tata Motors' Nano might have gone to West Bengal's kitty. But the company's ancillaries are turning out to be a big boon for Pantnagar, where the manufacturing of Nano was originally planned.

Tata Motors is starting its new Ace manufacturing facility, spread over 1000 acres, at an investment of Rs 1000 crore.

The facility would house nearly 75 ancillaries, out of which nearly 63 have already been given industrial plots. The ancillaries would set up their units in Pantnagar at a total investment of more than Rs 800 crore.

The establishment of ancillaries by the Tatas has goaded other auto majors including Bajaj Auto and Ashok Leyland to set shops at Pantnagar, a small township of Kumaon region which is now fast emerging as a favourite auto hub.

Though very little land is left at the Pantnagar integrated industrial estate, the entry of more auto companies has not been ruled out. Inquiries about the availability of industrial plots are still pouring in from various auto companies.

There are expectations that Tata Motors might start something big besides manufacturing Ace. Officials do not rule out the possibility that some parts of Nano may be produced in Pantnagar.

"There is always a distinct possibility," said a top official of State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand.