Caparo to build structural panels for Nano

The structure of the new Rs 1 lakh Tata Nano will be built by NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul owned Caparo Group.

Selected inner structural panels will be pressed and assembled by Caparo at a new facility in Singur, which is coiming up adjacent to the Tata Motors' manufacturing plant in West Bengal.

Caparo, the manufacturer of the world's highest performance road-capable hyper car, the Caparo T1, will supply 60% of these assemblies with the rest being manufactured in-house by Tata Motors.

Caparo has installed a new semi-automated production line with zero fault forward quality control systems to meet Ratan Tata's ambitious cost targets.

Angad Paul, CEO, Caparo Group, said: "The body technology is relatively conventional, but the manufacturing technology is the result of very sophisticated analysis to ensure high-quality, low-cost production."

"We completed the task quickly to meet our customer's deadline with production starting within six months after the contract was confirmed," he added.

The Tata Nano was launched at the Auto Expo in New Delhi last month.

(Reporting by H S Rao)