Nano Impact

I think I am too busy to write a blog entry. The simple fact that this entry has been typed into my laptop for over a week and yet unpublished says volumes about my (un)effectivess to write a blog entry.

So without wasting further time, i would quickly finish this up and follow up with a couple of more entries.

Tata Nano has been much talked about and rightly so. The bottomline is that it’s a great idea, great design and innovation but the product has to prove itself in the market and only then it can be called a breakthrough or a revolution of sorts.

I tried to think from various angles on the impact of Tata Nano and here are the points. Mind you, these are personal thoughts and opinions. No prejudices against anyone (disclaimer).

Impact

1. The bottomline of two wheeler companies would be eroded, as more and more people will prefer buying Tata Nano rather than a bike or scooter.

2. Maruti 800 would be the worst to suffer. It has a higher price tag, an older look, less capacity (acc to the claims of Tata Nano that it even though it’s small it offers more space than Maruti 800). So why would people buy 800 when Nano is on the roll.

Concerns

Infrastructure shortage – Does India have enough Infrastructure to support a lifestyle revolution. I call it a lifestyle revolution because having a car is definitely a reflection of your lifestyle and for that matter which type of car do u own says volumes about ur lifestyle.

Anyway, coming back to the point of infrastructure. Does India have enough good quality roads.. Especially in rural areas if the revolution has to really affect the grass root levels which r still the villages.

Do we have enough parking lots? How about the traffic condition? Its already worse in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi and I bet all other cities.

About the traffic, my view is that it’s both the govt created and public created. govt created, why because of the lack in infrastructure. Why public.. Because I think we Indians lack discipline and courtesy to behave well on the roads.

So will Tata Nano affect the mindset of the people and teach them how to drive and behave in the public places. Too much to ask from a small car but still i feel that it will have some impact on the way people drive and behave. Atleast it should have.

But it can have a negative impact also. With many more cars on the road… its bound to create hell lot of traffic, accidents and frustrations for the commuters.

Having said that, by no means I want to negate any credit from Tata’s and Tata Nano. What I have just mentioned are a set of problems. Tata’s have done an excellent job and to repeat that I would sound clichéd.

More Concerns

– Petrol consumption would go high drastically. As the mileage goes down 60% if a bike is switched to Nano, petrol consumption is bound to go upwards. It will lead to increased oil prices, hike in fuel rates, increased threats from Left and instability in the political scenario.

– Pollution point is debatable as Nano meets all the emission standards and if a person switches from bike/scooter to Nano its difficult to say if it has any impact on increasing/decreasing pollution levels.

To finish of the entry, i would salute Ratan Tata, since he’s the real hero for million of Indians – persons who make difference in the life of common people – which i think is very important – given the state of inequality that plagues the world.

I sincerely hope that Nano delivers what it promises and tries to remove frustrations out of the life of million peoples.

-CD>

P.S Please feel free to comment/share your thoughts.