As auto sector continues to grow, Nano's failure stands in stark contrast

The much-touted Nano - hailed as a "milestone in frugal engineering" - fell short on safety, ran behind schedule and produced questionable crash test results

A moment of silence, please, for the world’s cheapest car, which has all but died in India. It was almost 10 years old.

The Nano’s death was confirmed by production numbers: Tata Motors Ltd. produced 1 unit in June, down from 275 in the same month last year. Exports were zero, versus 25 in June 2017. The company acknowledged that the car in its “present form cannot continue beyond 2019.”

The expiry of the “people’s car,” as Tata Motors branded it in 2008, holds lessons for automakers hoping to make it in India: While consumers may be value-conscious, cutting costs