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AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

The automobile industry in India is the eleventh largest in the world with an
annual production of approximately 2 million units. India is expected to overtake
China as the world's fastest growing car market in terms of the number of units
sold and the automotive industry is one of the fastest growing manufacturing
sectors in India. Because of its large market, a low base of car ownership (7 per
1,000 people) and a surging economy, India has become a huge attraction for
car manufacturers around the world.

The automotive industry directly and indirectly employs 13 million individuals in


India. The industry is valued at about US$ 35 billion contributing about 3.1% of
India's GDP. India's cost-competitive auto components industry is the second
largest in the world. In addition, India's motorcycle market is also the second
largest in the world with annual sales of about 5 million units.

Though several major foreign automakers have their manufacturing bases in


India like Honda and Kawasaki, the Indian automobile market is dominated by
domestic companies. Maruti Suzuki is the largest passenger vehicle company,
Tata Motors is the largest commercial vehicle company while Hero Honda is the
largest motorcycle company in India. Other major Indian automobile
manufacturers include Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland and Bajaj Auto.

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KEY FACTS

The Automotive Industry in India is one of the largest industries and a key sector
of the economy.

The Indian automotive industry started from 1991with the government’s de-
licensing of the sector and subsequent opening up for 100 per cent FDI through
automatic route. Since then many large global companies have set up their
facilities in India taking the production of vehicle from 2 million in 1991 to 9.7
million in 2006.

At present, India is the world's

 Largest tractor and three-wheel vehicle producer.


 Second largest two-wheel vehicle producer.
 Fourth largest commercial vehicle producer.
 Eleventh largest passenger car producer.

Production: According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the


Indian automobile industry has reached double-digit growth for the past three
years in a row. In 2006, the industry produced 10.9 million vehicles, an increase
of 16.22% over 2005. In 2005, production grew 14.5% over the previous year.
The production of the automotive industry is expected to achieve a growth rate of
over 20 per cent in 2006-07 and about 15 per cent in 2007-08.

Exports: the cumulative annual growth rate of automotive exports during the
period 2000-01 to 2005-06 was 32.92 per cent. Exports during 2006-2006 and
2007-2008 are expected to grow over 20 per cent.

Imports: Europe is the biggest importer of cars from India, while African nations
largely account for the import of buses and trucks. China is most recently making

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inroads into this market. The South-East Asian region is the prime destination
for Indian two wheelers.

Sales:

 Passenger Vehicles: Growth in sales of passenger vehicles was 18.45%


in 2006. This was almost three times the growth witnessed in 2005. Sale
of passenger cars expanded by 20.0%. Export of passenger vehicles
increased by 12.9%
 Utility Vehicles: 12.4%
 Two-wheelers, commercial vehicles and three-wheelers: Export growth at
a rate of 24%, 26% and 72% respectively.

Investment: Among the car companies that are investing in India are US
automakers General Motors and Ford, Germany's BMW and DaimlerChrysler
AG, France's Renault, Japan's Suzuki, Toyota and Honda, and South Korea's
Hyundai.

There is also a boom in auto ancillary companies. India is an attractive


outsourcing destination for global auto companies because of its strong
engineering skills and low costs. Sourcing parts from India is 10-20% cheaper for
US auto makers and about 50% cheaper for their European counterparts.

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WHY TO INVEST IN TATA MOTORS?

This is the probably the best time to invest in Tata Motors. The year 2008
promises to be a big year for Tata Motors. It plans several launches, including
the long-awaited Rs 1 lakh car and the Alfa Romeo, Masserati and Ferrari.

Tata Motors has big plans for next year. On the cards are a revamped Tata
Indica, a smaller Indigo to compete with Maruti's Swift and a new Sumo. But that
is not all. It will unveil its Rs 1 lakh car, as well as brands like the Alfa Romeo,
Masserati and Ferrari, which Tata Motors and Fiat will jointly sell.

About two years after Tata Motors and Fiat joined hands, Fiat's Grand Punto and
Linea will roll out of Tata-Fiat's Ranjangoan facility. Besides, Tata Motors has
several commercial vehicles waiting to hit the roads.

And what could turn out to be the biggest achievement for Tata Motors would be
Ford's iconic brands-Land Rover and Jaguar, that are up for sale.

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TATA MOTORS

INTRODUCTION

Tata Motors Limited is India's largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs.
32,426 crores (USD 7.2 billion) in 2006-07. It is the leader by far in commercial
vehicles in each segment, and the second largest in the passenger vehicles
market with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility vehicle
segments. The company is the world's fifth largest medium and heavy
commercial vehicle manufacturer, and the world's second largest medium and
heavy bus manufacturer.

The company's 22,000 employees are guided by the vision to be "best in the
manner in which we operate best in the products we deliver and best in our value
system and ethics." Tata Motors helps its employees realize their potential
through innovative HR practices. The company's goal is to empower and provide
employees with dynamic career paths in congruence with corporate objectives.
All-round potential development and performance improvement is ensured by
regular in-house and external training. The company has won several awards
recognizing its training programmes.

LOCATIONS

Established in 1945, Tata Motors' presence indeed cuts across the length and
breadth of India. Over 4 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first
rolled out in 1954. The company's manufacturing base is spread across India -
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) in the east, Pune (Maharashtra) in the west, and in the
north in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). A new plant is
being set up in Singur (close to Kolkata in West Bengal) to manufacture the
company's small car. The nation-wide dealership, sales, services and spare
parts network comprises over 2,000 touch points. The company also has a

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strong auto finance operation, TML Financial Services Limited, supporting
customers to purchase Tata Motors vehicles.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS

Tata Motors, the first company from India's engineering sector to be listed in the
New York Stock Exchange (September 2004), has also emerged as an
international automobile company. In 2004, it acquired the Daewoo Commercial
Vehicles Company, Korea's second largest truck maker. The rechristened Tata
Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company has launched several new products in
the Korean market, while also exporting these products to several international
markets. Today two-thirds of heavy commercial vehicle exports out of South
Korea are from Tata Daewoo. In 2005, Tata Motors acquired a 21% stake in
Hispano Carrocera, a reputed Spanish bus and coach manufacturer, with an
option to acquire the remaining stake as well. Hispano's presence is being
expanded in other markets. In 2006, it formed a joint venture with the Brazil-
based Marcopolo, a global leader in body-building for buses and coaches to
manufacture fully-built buses and coaches for India and select international
markets. Tata Motors also entered into a joint venture in 2006 with Thonburi
Automotive Assembly Plant Company of Thailand to manufacture and market the
company's pickup vehicles in Thailand. In 2006, Tata Motors and Fiat Auto
formed an industrial joint venture at Ranjangaon (near Pune in Maharashtra,
India) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains for the Indian and
overseas markets; Tata Motors already distributes and markets Fiat branded
cars in India. In 2007, Tata Motors and Fiat Auto entered into an agreement for a
Tata license to build a pick-up vehicle bearing the Fiat nameplate at Fiat Group
Automobiles' Plant at Córdoba, Argentina. The pick-up will be sold in South and
Central America and select European markets.

These linkages will further extend Tata Motors' international footprint, established
through exports since 1961. While currently about 18% of its revenues are from
international business, the company's objective is to expand its international

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business, both through organic and inorganic growth routes. The company's
commercial and passenger vehicles are already being marketed in several
countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, South East Asia and
South Asia. It has assembly operations in Malaysia, Kenya, Bangladesh,
Ukraine, Russia and Senegal.

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

The foundation of the company’s growth is a deep understanding of economic


stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate them into customer-
desired offerings through leading edge R&D. The R&D establishment includes a
team of 1400 scientists and engineers. The company's Engineering Research
Centre was established in 1966, and has facilities in Pune, Jamshedpur and
Lucknow. The ERC has enabled pioneering technologies and products. It was
Tata Motors, which developed the first indigenously developed Light Commercial
Vehicle, India's first Sports Utility Vehicle and, in 1998, the Tata Indica, India's
first fully indigenous passenger car. Within two years of launch, Tata Indica
became India's largest selling car in its segment. The ERC in Pune, among
whose facilities are India's only certified crash-test facility and hemi-anechoic
chamber for testing of noise and vibration, has received several awards from the
Government of India. Some of the more prominent amongst them are the
National Award for Research and Development Efforts in Industry in the
Mechanical Engineering Industries sector in 1999, the National Award for
Successful Commercialization of Indigenous Technology by an Industrial
Concern in 2000, and the CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award in 2004.

The company set up the Tata Motors European Technical Centre (TMETC) in
2005 in the UK. TMETC is engaged in design engineering and development of
products, supporting Tata Motors' skill sets. Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle
Company and Hispano Carrocera also have R&D establishments at Gunsan in
South Korea and Zaragoza in Spain.

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The pace of new product development has quickened through an organization-
wide structured New Product Introduction (NPI) process. The process with its
formal structure for introducing new vehicles in the market, brings in greater
discipline in project execution. The NPI process helped Tata Motors create a
new segment, in 2005, by launching the Tata Ace, India’s first indigenously
developed mini-truck. The years to come will see the introduction of several
other innovative vehicles, all rooted in emerging customer needs. Besides
product development, R&D is also focussing on environment-friendly
technologies in emissions and alternative fuels.

Through its subsidiaries, the company is engaged in engineering and automotive


solutions, construction equipment manufacturing, automotive vehicle
components manufacturing and supply chain activities, machine tools and
factory automation solutions, high-precision tooling and plastic and electronic
components for automotive and computer applications, and automotive retailing
and service operations.

True to the tradition of the Tata Group, Tata Motors is committed in letter and
spirit to Corporate Social Responsibility. It is a signatory to the United Nations
Global Compact, and is engaged in community and social initiatives on labour
and environment standards in compliance with the principles of the Global
Compact. In accordance with this, it plays an active role in community
development, serving rural communities adjacent to its manufacturing locations.

With the foundation of its rich heritage, Tata Motors today is etching a refulgent
future.

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MANUFACTURING UNITS IN INDIA

Tata Motors owes its leading position in the Indian automobile industry to its
strong focus on indigenization. This focus has driven the Company to set up
world-class manufacturing units with state-of-the-art technology. Every stage of
product evolution-design, development, manufacturing, assembly and quality
control, is carried out meticulously. Our manufacturing plants are situated at
Jamshedpur in the East, Pune in the West and Lucknow in the North.

 Jamshedpur:
Established in1945, the Jamshedpur unit was the company's first unit and
is spread over an area of 822 acres. It consists of 4 major divisions -
Truck Factory, Engine Factory, Cab & Cowl Factories, and the Novus.
 Pune:
The Pune unit is spread over 2 geographical regions- Pimpri (800 acres)
and Chinchwad (130 acres). It was established in 1966 and has a
Production Engineering Division, which has one of the most versatile tool
making facilities in the Indian sub-continent.
 Lucknow:
Tata Motors Lucknow is one of the youngest production facilities among
all the Tata Motors locations and was established in 1992 to meet the
demand for Commercial Vehicles in the Indian market.
 Uttarakhand:
The company has set up a plant for its mini-truck, Ace, at Pant Nagar in
Uttarakhand. The plant will begin commercial production during the
course of the year.

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PRODUCTS

TATA MOTORS major business segments are passenger vehicle segment


and commercial vehicle segment.

The company’s main product lines in the passenger vehicle segment are:

PASSENGER VEHICLE
SEGMENT

PASSENGER CARS UTILITY VEHICLES

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PASSENGER CARS:

1. INDICA V2

In 2001, the Indica V2 became the fastest-selling automobile in Indian history


when it chalked sales of 100,000 in less than 18 months. February 2001 saw the
next stage in the evolution of the Indica V2. A car that embodied everything the
Indica V2 had with several added features like a SuperDrive Engine, BlockShock
Absorbers, a SmoothRide Suspension, EasyShift Gears and WideTread Tyres. It
married the power and comfort of a large car with the easy maneouverability of a
small one. Taking off on the success of the Indica V2 diesel, the Indica V2 Petrol
was launched in September 2001. The state-of-the-art technology combined the
features of the Indica V2 Diesel with the smoothness of petrol. Year 2002 saw
the Indica V2 complying with the first offset crash test. Major improvements were
also made to the air conditioning system and braking mechanisms, as well as the
body reinforcements.

2. INDICA V2 DICOR

As a car that has always lived up to the promise of delivering more, the Indica
now comes equipped with the 1.4 litre, 70 PS, Direct Injection Common Rail
(DICOR) engine - the latest in diesel-engine technology that's empowering cars

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worldwide. Offered till recently on our premium vehicles, the engine delivers
great performance, high mileage and an exhilarating driving experience in the
hatchback Indica. In keeping with its leadership position as the best selling diesel
car in the country, the Indica now offers the widest range of diesel engines -
naturally aspirated, turbo charged intercooled and now common rail. Making
technology accessible across varying needs.

3. INDICA V2 XETA

The new Indica Xeta. Its extra efficiency Torque Advantage petrol engine
delivers 12.4 kgm torque, for a smoother and more responsive drive. With instant
pick up and fewer gear changes in stop-start city traffic. The technologically
superior MPFI engine comes with a 32-bit microprocessor, and sports 12
sensors, including a knock control sensor to reduce damage from adulterated
fuel. The result? Even more enjoyable long drives, with a frugal fuel consumption
at 14 kmpl.Its spacious cabin - the biggest in its class, seats three people
comfortably in the rear, with ample elbow room and generous leg room. The
luxurious beige interiors come as a standard feature.

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4. INDIGO

The Indigo became a success story right from the day of its launch. Within
months, it became the category leader. Competition soon resorted to price-offs
and offers to arrest falling market shares. Discounts on brands ranged from
between Rs.70,000 to Rs. 1,00,000. The objective was to build on the existing
equity and strengthen the proposition. Indigo very clearly stands for Comfort and
Luxury. The Indigo became the top seller in its segment continuously for the first
two years and the fastest to cross the 50,000 sales milestone.

5. INDIGO MARINA

The Indigo Marina story started two years back with the launch of the luxury
sedan from Tata Motors, the Tata Indigo. Owners of the Indigo were very
impressed with its performance and build quality. In fact in a matter of two years,
50,000 Tata Indigos were on the road. There were however, a select group of
people who wanted everything that came with the Indigo plus a
little more space. So, we developed the Indigo Marina.

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6. INDIGO CS

The world's first sub four-metre sedan, the Tata Indigo CS is positioned as the
first car for young professionals. It carries forward the cabin seating comfort and
space package, that is now closely associated with the Indigo range and a
capacious 380 litre boot. Clever and efficient design has made it possible to
encapsulate this entire package within the four metre length, making this car a
complete package to address the combined demands of space and
maneuverability in our congested cities. The Indigo CS sports a stylish new tail
light cluster in the rear embedded in a smart new rear profile completed with a
new, trimmer rear bumper. The front of the car has also been visually
differentiated with a new front grille and new headlamps.

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UTILITY VEHICLES

1. TATA SAFARI DICOR

Slick city maneuvers or fast lane driving, Tata Safari handles both with aplomb.
Propelled by a powerful engine, that takes care of the adrenaline surge. And
impeccable styling that takes of the wow factor.

2. TATA SUMO

Think big. Think Tata Sumo. It is spacious enough to accommodate your family
and friends. Not to mention extra luggage. Muscular yet stylish, it glides over
rugged roads and potholes with effortless ease.

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The company’s main product lines in the commercial vehicle segment are:

COMMERCIAL
VEHICLE
SEGMENT

TRUCKS BUSES

TRUCKS:

In this segment, Tata Motors manufactures variety of models which satisfies


different needs and conditions. The different variety available is as follows:

 Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicles: This section includes


Rigid Trucks, Tractor Trailers, Tippers and Applications.

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 Intermediate Commercial Vehicles: This section includes just
two models. LPT 1109 Turbo Truck and LP 1109 Turbo Truck.

 Light Commercial Vehicles: This section includes 10 different


types of trucks.

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 Small Commercial Vehicles: A new revolution in transport,
which is set to change the competitive landscape of the small
commercial vehicle segment. Tata Ace - the small, big machine.

BUSES:

The Tata Globus range of luxury coaches


The Tata Globus Coach has been designed to transport long-distance traveller in
the very lap of luxury. From the ergonomically designed seats, spacious leg
room, special baggage space, and personalized climate control vents to quieter
engines, air-suspension and superior braking systems; each and every facet of
the Tata Globus Coach ensures revolutionary passenger comfort and safety.

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The Tata Starbus Range
The Tata Starbus is available in a comprehensive range of variants, with seating
capacities from 16 to 67 seats. Designed on the concept of optimum functionality
and comfort, these fully-built buses also offer unparalleled economy to the
operators. The Starbus range includes Standard, Deluxe, Low Floor and School
bus options - each with a customized set of features.

OTHER BUSES:

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PRODUCTION COMPONENTS

Raw Materials------------------- IN RS. CR. ------------------- MAR 2008


Product Name Unit Quantity Value
Other
Not Reported NA 14,294.76
Components
Tyres, Tubes &
Numbers 4,610,652 1,359.70
Flaps
Engines Numbers 84,472 1,179.01
Steel Metric Tonnes 216,083 661.05
Paints, Oils &
Kilolitres 14,769 218.33
Lubricants
Scrap (Steel
Metric Tonnes 97,608 147.11
Melting)
Metals & Alloys
Metric Tonnes 2,658 42.95
(Non Ferrous)
Ferro Alloys Metric Tonnes 1,862 11.96
Paints, Oils & 0.00
Metric Tonnes 8,827
Lubricants
Steel Tubes Metric Tonnes 112 0.86

Finished Products ----------------- in Rs. Cr. ----------------- Mar 2008


Product Installed Production Sales Sales
Unit
Name Capacity Quantity Quantity Value

Automobile-
Light, Medium
& Heavy 29,211.0
Numbers 96,000 98,227.00 580,280.00
Commercial, 4
Jeep,
Passenger Car

Spare Parts NA NA NA 1,220.10

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For Vehicles

Castings &
NA NA NA 284.14
Forgings

Scrap NA NA NA 111.29

Hire Purchase NA NA NA 90.26

Engines
Diesel For
Industrial & NA 8,498.00 8,587.00 69.89
Marine
Applications

Export
NA NA NA 58.97
Incentives

Income from
General NA NA NA 44.00
Services

Proximity
NA NA NA 0.00
Switches

192,282,00 34,407,625.0
Power KWH NA 0.00
0 0
Generation

Printed Circuit
NA NA NA 0.00
Motors

Arc & Spot


Welding NA NA NA 0.00
Robots

SG Castings
(Semies) By
Metric
Continous 3,600 NA NA 0.00
Tonnes
Casting
Process

Solid State NA NA NA 0.00

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Controller For
Machine Tools

Spot Welding
NA NA NA 0.00
Guns

Numerical
Control Of NA NA NA 0.00
Machine Tools

Motor
Vehicles For
Numbers 586,000 486,559.00 NA 0.00
Transport Of
Goods

Automobile-
NA NA NA 0.00
Cars

Castings (S G Metric
12,000 14,505.00 NA 0.00
Iron) Tonnes

Electrical
Copy NA NA NA 0.00
Machining

Electronic
Comparator,
Electr
NA NA NA 0.00
Weighing
Inst., Crane
Weighing Inst

Hoists (250
NA NA NA 0.00
kgs)

Linear
Position
NA NA NA 0.00
Encoder &
Readout

Manufactured
Components NA 444.91 NA 0.00
For Sale

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Metal Cutting
& Grinding NA NA NA 0.00
Machine

Truck & Bus 0.00


NA NA NA
Chassis

Total
31,089.69

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

BALANCE SHEET FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS

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PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS
Mar ' 08 Mar ' 07 Mar ' 06 Mar ' 05 Mar ' 04
Sources of funds
Owner's fund
Equity share capital 385.41 382.87 361.79 353.00 319.83
Share application money - - - 3.83 -
Preference share capital - - - - -
Reserves & surplus 6,458.39 5,127.81 3,749.60 3,236.77 2,277.33
Loan funds
Secured loans 2,022.04 822.76 489.81 942.65 1,037.32
Unsecured loans 1,987.10 2,114.08 2,005.61 317.12 420.99
Total 10,852.94 8,447.52 6,606.81 4,853.37 4,055.47
Uses of funds
Fixed assets
Gross block 8,775.80 7,971.55 6,611.95 5,985.40 5,860.10
Less : revaluation reserve 25.95 26.39 - - -
Less : accumulated
4,894.54 4,401.51 3,454.28 3,023.69 2,710.45
depreciation
Net block 3,855.31 3,543.65 3,157.67 2,961.71 3,149.65
Capital work-in-progress 2,513.32 951.19 538.84 286.09 156.93
Investments 2,477.00 2,015.15 2,912.06 3,056.77 1,195.98
Net current assets
Current assets, loans &
10,318.42 9,812.06 7,248.88 3,835.78 3,024.54
advances
Less : current liabilities &
8,321.20 7,888.65 7,268.80 5,309.17 3,563.18
provisions
Total net current assets 1,997.22 1,923.41 -19.92 -1,473.39 -538.64
Miscellaneous expenses not
10.09 14.12 18.16 22.19 91.55
written
Total 10,852.94 8,447.52 6,606.81 4,853.37 4,055.47
Notes:
Book value of unquoted
2,117.86 1,648.57 2,480.15 2,778.87 920.28
investments
Market value of quoted
1,323.08 1,550.00 1,260.05 732.76 270.89
investments
Contingent liabilities 5,196.07 2,185.63 1,450.32 896.07 1,135.42
Number of equity
3853.74 3828.34 3617.52 3529.58 3197.84
sharesoutstanding (Lacs)

Mar ' 08 Mar ' 07 Mar ' 06 Mar ' 05 Mar ' 04
Income:
Operating income 26,664.25 20,088.63 17,199.17 13,028.17 8,956.87
Expenses
Material consumed 19,529.88 14,376.11 12,101.28 8,720.10 5,779.95
Manufacturing expenses 1,200.36 929.82 830.45 628.73 664.26

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Personnel expenses 1,367.83 1,143.13 1,039.34 882.49 720.37
Selling expenses 1,068.56 759.54 598.75 455.56 409.62
Adminstrative expenses 1,488.16 1,042.52 911.73 758.90 489.73
Expenses capitalised -577.05 -308.85 -282.43 -144.89 -156.46
Cost of sales 24,077.74 17,942.27 15,199.12 11,300.89 7,907.47
Operating profit 2,586.51 2,146.36 2,000.05 1,727.28 1,049.40
Other recurring income 887.23 685.18 399.94 235.65 144.69
Adjusted PBDIT 3,473.74 2,831.54 2,399.99 1,962.93 1,194.09
Financial expenses 455.75 350.24 234.30 225.96 312.55
Depreciation 586.29 520.94 450.16 382.60 359.51
Other write offs 85.02 73.78 67.12 51.64 2.62
Adjusted PBT 2,346.68 1,886.58 1,648.41 1,302.73 519.41
Tax charges 660.37 524.93 415.50 482.55 210.58
Adjusted PAT 1,686.31 1,361.65 1,232.91 820.18 308.83
Non recurring items 227.15 167.23 4.04 -6.82 0.38
Other non cash adjustments -0.07 - -1.54 -3.02 -9.10
Reported net profit 1,913.39 1,528.88 1,235.41 810.34 300.11
Earnigs before appropriation 2,690.15 2,094.54 1,601.21 934.05 300.11
Equity dividend 578.07 497.94 452.19 282.11 127.91
Preference dividend - - - - -
Dividend tax 98.25 69.84 63.42 36.14 16.39
Retained earnings 2,013.83 1,526.76 1,085.60 615.80 155.81

CASH FLOW FOR THE LAST 5 YEARS

Mar ' 08 Mar ' 07 Mar ' 06 Mar ' 05 Mar ' 04

Profit before tax 1,913.46 1,528.88 1,236.95 810.34 300.11

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Net cash flow-operating activity 2,210.13 -221.03 1,249.82 2,717.53 1,311.40

Net cash used in investing


-2,805.10 -1.06 -956.57 -2,043.19 -183.92
activity

Net cash used in fin. activity 303.58 -855.27 940.67 -149.20 -1,208.75

Net inc/dec in cash and


-291.39 -1,077.36 1,233.92 525.14 -81.27
equivalent

Cash and equivalent begin of


1,118.15 2,196.79 771.12 245.35 326.62
year

Cash and equivalent end of


826.76 1,119.43 2,005.04 770.49 245.35
year

TATA MOTORS FLASH FIGURES FOR DECEMBER 2007

PRODUCTION

2007- 2006-
Category DEC'08 DEC'07 DEC'06 08 07 2005-06
M& HCV 14942 16,209 11,161 12035 131,391 93,362

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8
12276
LCV* 14570 11,643 9,237 8 109,321 74,658
UTILITY 3282 3,622 2,511 32372 32,551 26,054
12886
CARS 9900 11,035 7,006 4 137,201 116,122
40436
TOTAL 42694 42509 29915 2 410464 310196

SALES

A. For the month

Domestic Exports Total


Category DEC'08 DEC'07 DEC'06 DEC'08 DEC'07 DEC'06 DEC'08 DEC'07 DEC'06
M& HCV 15689 17,274 11,110 1093 1,281 751 16782 18555 11861
LCV* 12972 10,905 7,620 2463 2,226 1,678 15435 13131 9298
UTILITY 3440 3,850 3,307 299 124 205 3739 3974 3512
CARS 10876 12,665 9,730 846 432 1,197 11722 13097 10927
TOTAL 42977 44694 31767 4701 4063 3831 47678 48757 35598

B. For the year

Domestic Exports Total


2007- 2006- 2005- 2007- 2006- 2005- 2007- 2006- 2005-
Category 08 07 06 08 07 06 08 07 06
11287 12279 13025
M& HCV 1 122,305 85,654 9924 7,953 5,558 5 8 91212
10265 12128 10695
LCV* 9 89,393 57,821 18622 17,563 15,235 1 6 73056
UTILITY 30967 31,350 24,920 2240 1,195 1,110 33207 32545 26030
12016 12964 13717
CARS 9 125,660 102,590 9477 11,517 13,302 6 7 115892
36666 40692 40693
TOTAL 6 368708 270985 40263 38228 35205 9 6 306190

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TATA MOTORS COMPETITORS

Tata Motors faces competition in both passenger vehicle segment as well as


commercial vehicle segment from two major players in the market. In the
passenger vehicle segment, Maruti Suzuki is the major competitor whereas in
commercial vehicle segment, Ashok Leyland is the major competitor.

TATA MOTORS

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
PASSENGER VEHICLE
SEGMENT
SEGMENT

MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOK LEYLAND

29
MARUTI SUZUKI
Maruti Suzuki India Ltd formerly known as Maruti Udyog Limited. The Group's
principal activity is to manufacture, purchase and sale of Motor Vehicles and
Spare parts. The Group is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation. The other
activities of the Group comprises of facilitation of Pre-Owned Car Sales, Fleet
Management and Car Financing. The Group also provides services like framing
of customized car policies, economical leasing of cars, maintenance
management, registration and insurance management, emergency assistance
and accident management. The product range includes ten basic models with
more than 50 variants. The Group has operations in over 312 cities with more
than 500 outlets and also exports cars to other countries.

PRODUCTS
Some of their popular products are as follows:
 Maruti 800: Launched 1983. Largest selling car in India, until 2004.
 Maruti Omni: Launched 1984.
 Maruti Gypsy: Launched 1985.
 Esteem: Launched 1994.Production ended in 2007.Will be shortly
replaced by new Suzuki Swift Sedan
 Maruti Wagon-R: Launched 1999 Modified 2006
 Suzuki SX4: Launched 2007
 Maruti Alto: Launched 2000. Currently the largest selling car in India
 Maruti Grand Vitara:Launched 2003
 Maruti Versa: Launched 2003
 Maruti Swift: Launched 2005
 Maruti Zen Estilo: Launched in 2006

30
ASHOK LEYLAND

Ashok Leyland is a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in


Chennai, India. The company was established in 1948 as Ashok Motors, with
an aim to assemble Austin cars. Manufacturing of commercial vehicles was
started in 1955 with equity contribution from Leyland Motors. Today the
Company is the flagship of the Hinduja Group, an England-based transnational
conglomerate. The Company's principal activity is to manufacture commercial
vehicles and spare parts. The Company also manufactures special vehicles and
engines for industrial, genset, marine requirements and automobile spare parts.
The Company operates only in India.

PRODUCTS

 Viking BS-I - city bus


 Viking BS-II - city bus
 Viking BS-III -city bus
 Cheetah BS-I
 Cheetah BS-II
 Panther
 12 M
 Stag Mini
 Stag CNG
 222 CNG
 Lynx
 Double Decker
 Vestibule
 Airport Tarmac Coach

31
COMPARISON OF TATA MOTORS V/S MARUTI SUZUKI
&ASHOK LEYLAND
TATA MARUTI ASHOK
PARTICULARS
MOTORS SUZUKI LEYLAND
Profit and loss (Rs . in CR.)

Sales 26,664.25 14,806.40 7,358.88


30,000.00

25,000.00

20,000.00

15,000.00
10,000.00

5,000.00
0.00
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLND

Expenditure 24,427.42 12,349.60 6,721.70

25,000.00

20,000.00

15,000.00

10,000.00

5,000.00

0.00
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOK LEYLND

Profit 1,913.46 1,562.00 441.29

32
2,000.00

1,500.00

1,000.00

500.00

0.00
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLAND

Balance sheet (Rs . in CR.)


Share capital 385.41 144.50 132.39
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
TATAMOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLAND

Debts 4,009.14 630.80 640.40


5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOK LEYLAND

Reserves 6,458.39 6,709.40 1,739.23

33
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLAND

Fixed Assets 3,881.26 2659.70 1307.04


4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOK LEYLAND

Investment 2,477.00 3409.20 221.09

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLAND

Working Capital 1997.22 1176.90 574.72

34
2000

1500

1000

500

0
TATA MOTORS MARUTI SUZUKI ASHOKLEYLAND

Ratio
Debt-Equity Ratio 5.83:1 1.15:1 0.33:1
Current Ratio 0.46:1 0.57:1 0.85:1
Return On Capital
34.02% 33.05% 31.05%
Employed
Per share data (annualized)
Shares in issue
3,853.74 2,889.10 13,238.70
(lakhs)
Earning Per Share 49.65 65.13 3.46

TATA MOTOR

MARUTI SUZUKI

ASHOK LEYLAND

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Divident Per Share 150.00 90.00 150.00

35
TATA MOTOR

MARUTI SUZUKI

ASHOKLEYLAND

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Price Earning Ratio 12.57 14.39 10.20

TATAMOTOR

MARUTI SUZUKI

ASHOKLEYLAND

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Current Market Prcie 675.00 937.00 35.30

TATA MOTORS CHART OF SHARE PRICE

36
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

The company implemented Oracle's Siebel Automotive-a comprehensive CRM


solution. To address competitive challenges, Tata Motors began standardizing its

37
customer-facing business processes companywide, laying the foundation for
stronger dealer relationships, improved operational efficiency and effectiveness,
and a better customer experience. This posed numerous challenges, as it
involved working with 500 dealer organizations and more than 1,600 locations
staffed with more than 10,000 salespeople across India.

In tune with its reengineering effort, Tata deployed a technology platform to


improve the flow of information across the enterprise. The platform consisted of
an innovative DMS, which helped individual dealerships with everything from
inventory management and credit reporting to calculating commissions, and
Siebel Automotive. By tightly integrating Siebel Automotive and its DMS, the
company was able to streamline transactions and ensure that dealers capture
customer data as a part of their normal operations.

Phased approach

The company took a phased approach to the implementation, with the goal of
achieving success in each phase before moving forward. Phase I, currently
under way, focuses on capturing customer and vehicle data and automating
routine tasks. Phase II will focus on leveraging data to improve customer
interactions and streamlining product development and planning. Phase III will
focus on tuning the system and delivering additional value-added services to
customers.

Siebel Automotive has been closely integrated with a wide array of SAP back-
office applications, including applications inventory management, fulfillment, and
parts location. Pricing and tax calculations are adjusted for each dealer's
requirements. In addition, comprehensive sales and reporting functionality built
into Siebel Automotive enabled Tata to distribute sales targets to its dealers and
roll up sales numbers across the country.

The company also favored Siebel Automotive because the user-friendly


interface simplified the process of training of Tata Motors' 10,000-plus dealer

38
sales force. Covering a country with an area of 3.3 mn sq km also required an
innovative communications solution.

Overall, Siebel Automotive has transformed our organization and made it truly
customer-centric. We've overcome the challenges of relying on disparate
sources of information, as well as having inconsistent business processes.
Today, our employees and dealers are much more responsive and can serve
customers more efficiently and effectively-drawing upon real-time, centralized
customer and vehicle data. The solution helped dealers respond to customer
queries regarding vehicles that aren't in a dealer's stock, but which can be
ordered directly from Tata Motors.

EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

The Tata Group's relationship with its employees has changed from the
patriarchal to the practical, but this is a bond that continues to be nourished with
compassion and care

39
"What exercise is to the body, employment is to the mind and morals," said
American writer and thinker Henry David Thoreau. With some 289,500 members
in its diverse and widespread family, the Tata Group touches and moulds the
everyday lives of more people than any private-sector employer in the country.
The richness of this relationship, fashioned by a tradition of benevolence and
empathy, represents a workplace culture that goes way beyond work.

As any 'Tata person' will tell you, there's something positively distinctive,
something less than completely explainable, about working for the group — the
experience is cast in a hue quite different from the ordinary. This view continues
to hold despite the changes that have altered the way the Tatas interact with
their people, moving from the paternalistic philosophy of yore to bring the group
in line with ever-evolving human-resource methodologies.

The transition from then to now has not eroded what remains a central theme
with the group: providing its employees more than mere jobs. Workers and their
welfare were of utmost importance to group founder Jamsetji Tata, who, writing
to his son Dorab Tata in 1902, five years before a site for his proposed steel
enterprise had been decided, stated: "Be sure to lay wide streets planted with
shady trees, every other of a quick-growing variety. Be sure that there is plenty
of space for lawns and gardens. Reserve large areas for football, hockey and
parks. Earmark areas for Hindu temples, Mohammedan mosques and Christian
churches." It was but natural that the city built on this munificence came to be
called Jamshedpur.

To understand the dynamics of the present, it is necessary to peep into the past.
The Tatas pioneered a slew of employee benefits that would later be mandated
through legislation in India and elsewhere in the world. The eight-hour working
day, free medical aid, welfare departments, grievance cells, leave with pay,
provident fund, accident compensation, training institutes, maternity benefits,
bonus and gratuity — all of these and more were introduced by the group before
any legal rules were framed on them. To give but one example of how far ahead

40
of the times the Tatas were, while its first provident fund scheme was started in
1920, the government regulation on this issue came into force in 1952.

These workplace measures were complemented by what Tata companies


created to enable their employees to live fuller lives away from their offices and
factories, and to realise their vocational potential. The Tata townships in
Jamshedpur, Mithapur, Babarala, Hosur and elsewhere are epitomes of
communal existence. The management training programmes conducted by
dedicated group institutions are devised to help employees give expression to
their talent. The volunteering and community work that have now become a ritual
in Tata companies fulfils another employee objective, while delivering succour to
the poor and needy.

Driving every one of the group's initiatives in the wide sphere of employee
relations is a value system that, slowly but surely, percolates to each person
looking to craft a career in the Tatas. The induction and training programmes
give new employees an opportunity to understand the history and background of
the Group. The second forum comprises the physical structures such as the Tata
archives in Jamshedpur and Pune. The third is the books, magazines and other
publications that detail the Tata heritage.

Satish Pradhan, executive vice-president (group human resources), stresses the


here-and-now of how the group has built on its legacy in employee relations.
Independent yardsticks bear out the truth that Tata companies are, by and large,
engaging employees and creating a wholesome environment for them. This is
permeating value right across the group in a variety of ways in terms of
accountability and responsibility, not only to ourselves but also to our
businesses, our communities and our stakeholders."

The specifics of the Tata engagement with its employees differ from factory floor
to management enclave. But there are some commonalities, nowhere more so
then on the vexed subject of voluntary retirement schemes (VRS). The realities

41
of modern business have forced the group, like many others, to float and
implement what would have been unthinkable for it in days gone by. The prime
consideration for the Tatas on this issue has been to minimise the inevitable
suffering it brings to people who have served a group company for long.

The thought and care that accompanies all Tata VRS initiatives finds an echo in
the many volunteering programmes that group employees undertake. These
range from helping underprivileged folks in big cities to uplifting rural
communities in the Indian outback. Tata Chemicals, Tata Steel, Voltas, Tata
Consultancy Services, Rallis, Indian Hotels — all of them are deeply involved in
volunteering work. The numbers are staggering, in terms of time invested, the
range of activities, and the spread of geographies. We see volunteerism as
shaping the minds of our employees as well as giving back to the communities in
which we operate."

Change management is another area where the Tata Group has invested plenty
of effort. The smooth transition that companies such as VSNL and CMC have
made, from being public-sector entities to becoming members of the Tata family,
bears testimony to the patience and skills the group has brought to the
challenging task of reforming the mindsets and attitudes of employees coming
into its fold from a different work environment.

The Tatas have progressed with the times and have endeavoured to offer more
to their employees today, including the opportunity to progress within and across
group companies. Programmes such as the Tata Administrative Service and
institutions like the Tata Management Training Centre have been revamped and
reengineered to reflect the requirements of the present. These and other
measures enable achievers in the group to progress further and faster than was
the case in years gone by. It has group mobility processes that facilitate
movement across functions and domains of knowledge. It has over the last three
years consistently moved an average of 50 people a year, at the managerial
level and above, across companies.

42
If all of this suggests the Tatas are some kind of model employer. James R.
Uffelman, an American businessman, once said: "The only way I can compete …
is to treat my employees better, move them up faster, give them more money
and put mirrors in the bathrooms."

TATA NANO - “ THE PEOPLE’S CAR”

The Nano will be launched in India later in 2008. The car will be available in both
standard and deluxe versions. Both versions will offer a wide range of body
colours and other accessories so that the car can be customized to an
individual's preferences.

Stylish, comfortable

43
 Designed with a family in mind, the Nano has a roomy passenger
compartment with generous leg space and head room.
 Can comfortably seat four persons. Four doors with high seating position
make ingress and egress easy.
 With a length of 3.1 metres, width of 1.5 metres and height of 1.6 metres,
with adequate ground clearance, it can effortlessly maneuver on busy
roads in cities as well as in rural areas.
 Its mono-volume design, with wheels at the corners and the powertrain at
the rear, enables it to uniquely combine both space and maneuverability,
which will set a new benchmark among small cars.

Fuel-efficient engine

 The Nano has a rear-wheel drive, all-aluminum, two-cylinder, 623 cc, 33


PS, multi point fuel injection petrol engine. This is the first time that a two-
cylinder gasoline engine is being used in a car with single balancer shaft.
 The lean design strategy has helped minimize weight, which helps
maximize performance per unit of energy consumed and delivers high fuel
efficiency.
 Performance is controlled by a specially designed electronic engine
management system.

Meets all safety requirements

 The Nano's safety performance exceeds current regulatory requirements.


With an all sheet-metal body, it has a strong passenger compartment, with
safety features such as crumple zones, intrusion-resistant doors, seat
belts, strong seats and anchorages, and the rear tailgate glass bonded to
the body.
 Tubeless tyres further enhance safety.

44
Environment-friendly

 The Nano's tailpipe emission performance exceeds regulatory


requirements. In terms of overall pollutants, it has a lower pollution level
than two-wheelers being manufactured in India today.

WHY NANO?

The name 'Nano' was chosen as it denotes high technology and small size.

Tata Nano

45
Manufacturer Tata Motors

Parent company Tata Sons

Also called The People's Car

Production 2008 — present

Assembly Singur, Pantnagar & Pune

Predecessor None

Class City car

Body style(s) 4-door kei car

Layout RR layout

Engine(s) 2 cylinder petrol Bosch multi-point fuel `injection (single


injector) all aluminium 623 cc (38 cu in)

Transmission(s) 4 speed synchromesh with overdrive in 4th

Wheelbase 2,230 mm (87.8 in)

Length 3100 mm (122 in)[1]

46
Width 1500 mm (59.1 in)[1]

Height 1600 mm (63 in)[1]

Kerb weight 580 kg (1,300 lb)-600 kg (1,300 lb)[2]

Fuel capacity 15 L (4 US gal/3 imp gal)[2]

Designer Girish Wagh, Justin Norek of Trilix, Pierre Castinel[3]

47
Technical specifications
According to Tata Group's Chairman Ratan Tata, the Nano is a 33 PS
(33 hp/24 kW) car with a 623 cc rear engine and rear wheel drive, and has a fuel
economy of 4.55 L/100 km (21.97 km/L, 51.7 mpg (US), 62 mpg (UK)) under city
road conditions, and 3.85 L/100 km on highways (25.97 km/L, 61.1 mpg (US),
73.3 mpg (UK)). It is the first time a two-cylinder non-opposed petrol engine will
be used in a car with a single balancer shaft.[21] Tata Motors has reportedly filed
34 patents related to the innovations in the design of Nano, with powertrain
accounting for over half of them.[22] The head of Tata Motors' Engineering
Research Centre, Girish Wagh has been credited with being one of the brains
behind Nano's design.[22][23]

According to Tata, the Nano complies with Bharat Stage-III and Euro-IV emission
standards. Ratan Tata also said, 'The car has passed the full-frontal crash and
the side impact crash'. Tata Nano passed the required 'homologation’ tests with
Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).This means that
the car has met all the specified criteria for roadworthiness laid out by the
government including emissions or noise & vibration and can now ply on Indian
roads. Tata Nano managed to score around 24 km per litre during its
‘homologation’ tests with ARAI. This makes Tata Nano the most fuel efficient car
in India. Nano will be the first car in India to display the actual fuel mileage
figures it recorded at ARAI’s tests on its windshield. According to ARAI it
conforms to Euro IV emission standards which will come into effect in India in
2010.

Side view of the Nano

Rear mounted engine


The use of a rear mounted engine to help maximize interior space makes the
Nano similar to the original Fiat 500, another technically innovative "people's
car". A concept vehicle similar in styling to the Nano, also with rear engined
layout was proposed by the UK Rover Group in the 1990s to succeed the original
Mini but was not put into production.[27] The eventual new Mini was much larger
and technically conservative. The independent, and now-defunct, MG Rover
Group later based their Rover CityRover on the Tata Indica.

48
Tata is also reported to be contemplating offering a compressed air engine as an
option

Suppliers to the Tata Nano

Supplier Product

Gasoline injection system (diesel will follow), starter,


Bosch
alternator, brake system

Caparo Inner structural panels

Continental Gasoline fuel supply system, fuel level sensor

Delphi Instrument cluster

Denso Windshield wiper system (single motor and arm)

FAG Rear-wheel bearing

Rear-view mirrors, interior mirrors, manual and CVT shifters,


Ficosa
washer system

Freudenberg Engine sealing

GKN Driveshafts

INA Shifting elements

ITW Deltar Outside and inside door handles

49
Johnson Controls Seating

Mahle Camshafts, spin-on oil filters, fuel filters and air cleaners

Saint-Gobain Glazing

TRW Brake system

Ceekay
Clutch sets
Daikin/Valeo

Vibracoustic Engine mounts

Visteon Air induction system

ZF Friedrichshafen
Chassis components, including tie rods
AG

Behr HVAC for the luxury version

MOST EAGERLY WAITED CAR

People world over were keen to see what Tata Motors' People's Car looked like,
and know more about it. The Tata Motors website saw nearly 7.9 million hits on
January 10 (the day the Nano was unveiled), while the Tata Nano website saw 4
million hits in 30 hours, making these sites among the busiest in the world.

The Nano website (www.tatanano.com) was developed within a short timeframe


of 1.5 months and with limited resources.

50
The entire portal has been built on open source technologies, involving minimum
investment, following the essence of the Nano - low cost, but high technology.

The high fuel efficiency also ensures that the car has low carbon dioxide
emissions, thereby providing the twin benefits of an affordable transportation
solution with a low carbon footprint.

TATA JAGUAR DEAL

American car-maker Ford is expected to finalize the deal with Indian


conglomerate Tata for the sale of luxury brands - Jaguar and Land Rover by mid
of March.

The two sides, which have been in exclusive talks since the beginning of the
year, are expected to sign a deal worth up to two billion dollars (one billion
pound) on 12th of March.its online edition on Thursday.

According to the report, Ford is expected to seal the sale of Jaguar and Land
Rover to Tata, next week after the American car-maker recently agreed to pump
hundreds of millions of pounds into the pension fund to smooth the process.

The deal is expected to be welcomed by unions, who believe that there is no


immediate threat to British jobs or manufacturing, it added.

On January 3, Ford had named Tata as the preferred bidder for Jaguar and Land
Rover.

51
Other Current Issues

Singur car factory land dispute

Singur car factory land dispute arose as Tata's planned manufacturing unit for
the car in Singur, West Bengal, where the state government of West Bengal had
allocated 997 acres (4.03 km2) to Tata Motors. The construction of the car factory
on that tract of land began in January 2007 on fertile agricultural land and the
expropriation and eviction of approximately 15,000 peasants and agricultural
workers. The affected farmers have fears that they will receive inadequate or no
compensation and therefore lose their livelihoods.

Activists near Kolkata, where Tata's manufacturing unit is located, burnt the car
effigy. In New Delhi, a group of six women protested wearing T-shirts bearing
slogans that said, "The Rs 1 lakh car has Singur people's blood on it." The
Trinamool Congress alleged that Tata motors usurped the agrarian land for the
construction site and have threatened to stall the manufacture of the car.

With the Tata Nano project in jeapordy in West Bengal, there is now a race
between other Indian States to become the new location for the Tata Nano
project, with each state trying to entice the Tata Motors Group to their particular
location..

On 2 Sep 2008, Tata Motors officialy announced that they were pulling the Tata
Nano project out of Singur and " 'evaluating alternate options' and considering
relocating the plant and machinery"(i.e. to another state). Thus, Ratan Tata came
through with his threats that he would rather pull out of Singur than expose his
staff and machinery to attacks..

52
Suicide

A 65-year-old farmer committed suicide by swallowing pesticide in Singur in


connection with Tata's Nano project. The real-cause is being investigated

"Secret" agreement and Government subsidies

Business Standard reported

“ Tata Motors today moved Calcutta High Court against the State
Information Commission to prevent it from releasing “secret” sections of
the commercial agreement signed between the company and the West
Bengal government to set up the Nano factory at Singur, 40 km from
here.

A few days ago, the commission and the state government had released
the basic part of the contract that had revealed that Tata Motors had
received a Rs 200-crore loan at 1 per cent, tax breaks and subsidised
land and electricity and had been promised refund of VAT and central
sales tax on the car.

The opposition Trinamool Congress (TC) had been alleging for weeks
that the “secret” portion of the contract contained a list of further benefits
that had been promised by the state government to Tata Motors.

“The Tata action in the Calcutta High Court supports our worst fears,” a
TC leader told Business Standard.

“The benefits promised under the portion of the contract already released
prove that the state government was subsidising the Rs 1-lakh car to the
extent of more than a quarter of its cost,” the leader alleged without
substantiating on the calculation system used by the TC.

The commission, working under the Central Information Commission,


was set up by the state government with a chairman and member
nominated by the chief minister, and with the leader of the opposition
also serving on it.

“The information commissioner is a statutory authority under the RTI Act


and is a quasi-judicial authority,” said a leading lawyer in Kolkata. ”

While "secret" subsidies and tax breaks have been provided and some (including
landloser or penniless farmers) may consider this unethical, yet there's nothing
illegal about it as this has been done through a proper legal-contract.

53
Moreover, this subsidy, or more subsidies, are good for the consumers as it will
reduce the price of the Nano further, though at the cost of the state-government
and being a burden on the state-exchequer, which is good. Yet, this is better use
of the state-funds as many of the so-called "state-funds" in India are embezzled
before being spent for the good of the public due to the high-level of Corruption
in India or spent on feeding excessive, unneeded, and burdensome red-tape and
bureaucracy.

It is expected that this self-imposed burden of subsidy, if work is continued at the


factory, will allow the West Bengal government in the near-future to shed some
of its unneeded bureaucrat jobs (as it's very difficult to do this without any "cited
reason" due to widespread opposition from the red-tape community), though jobs
will be created for them in the private sector (which is good as it will force
bureaucrats to do some "real" work) because "the plant will attract more
industries and create more job opportunities for the local populace".

Failure of talks

"The talks between West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday evening to settle the
Singur imbroglio failed to bring out any positive results," Economic Times
reported and others reported.

Reactions

Whilst Indian business community is upset about the whole episode and has
advised the Tatas to either relocate to Pantnagar or a nearby facility in Uttar
Pradesh as requested by Amar Singh in 2006[49], Lakshmi Mittal of ArcelorMittal
said: "Whilst India has been a big part of my past, it is sure to be a big part of all
our futures. It does not give us nightmares. And we will not revisit our plan in
India because of Singur episode."

Solutions

It is widely believed that due to these increasing disputes, in which one or more
land-loser farmer(s) committed suicide even (including a 65-year-old farmer who
committed suicide by swallowing pesticide), and Tata's recent stand, Nano might
well come out of either:

• The Tata's plant at Pantnagar, or


• Out of nearby new-plants constructed in a SEZ in either Uttar Pradesh
(Ghaziabad or Noida or others) or Uttarakhand (Pantnagar or Roorkee).

Mr. Ratan Tata might well take such land-marks steps to avoid the harm being
caused to Tata's reputation and brand-image at Singur.

54
Uttar Pradesh

Amar Singh, then Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh state’s Industrial Development
Council had even invited Tata in 2006 "offering to accommodate the small-car
plant in Uttar Pradesh". "I admit that as chairman of the Uttar Pradesh
development council, I had invited Tata Motors to set up the Nano factory there,”
Amar told

Safety-issues

The Times says

“ India has 8 per cent of the world’s vehicle fatalities and less than 1 per
cent of its cars, with more than 90,000 people killed on the country’s
roads every year. Introducing a million Nanos into the mix may bring
more – and unwelcome – headlines.

Tata, which has the only crash-test facility in the country, said that the
Nano “exceeds current regulatory requirements”. And while it is not a
deathtrap – it has crumple zones, seat belts and strong seat anchors – it
is worth bearing in mind that total vehicle crash testing (rather than just
frontal impact), airbags and antilock braking systems are not mandatory.

Without these, the Nano would not even be considered for approval in
Britain. Adding them would double its price in India, which is why they
have been omitted. ”

It's believed that Tata will offer a version of the Nano with these safety-features,
including an airbag system in its electric version.

Mass motorization and climate change

As the Nano was conceived and designed around introducing the automobile to
a sector of the population who are currently using eco-friendly bicycles and
motorcycles, environmentalists are concerned that its extraordinarily low price
might lead to mass motorization in countries like India and therefore possibly
aggravate pollution and global warming as well as increase the demand for oil.

55
Rajendra Pachauri, an Indian and chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, said he was "having nightmares" because of this car and added
that the car represents bankruptcy of India's environmental policy. The ecology
focused German newspaper die tageszeitung feels that such concerns are
"inappropriate" as the Tata Nano has lower emissions compared to the average
Volkswagen, and that developing countries shouldn't be denied the right to
motorized mobility when industrialized countries should be looking to reduce
their emissions and usage of cars. Die Welt reports that the car conforms with
environmental protection, and will have the lowest emissions in India.

In crowded metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Ratan Tata has conceived a scheme
to only offer the Nano to those individuals who do not have an automobile
already. The Nano will also replace many overloaded and worn-out two-stroke
polluting vehicles, both two and three-wheeled. In the current policy and
regulatory framework, Centre for Science and Environment consider that the
economy cars will be disastrous.

Solutions

This can change if renewable energies are used. Steps which Tata Motors is
already taking:

Compressed-air fuel

Tata Motors is working with a French firm on using compressed air as fuel which
is eco-friendly and revolutionary in itself for a car of such large-scale.

"World's cheapest electric-car"

Tata is also believed to be making an electric version of the Nano (reportedly


with attached or sideby solar panels as well) which might prove to be a boon for
the society and the world, both in terms of cost and technology, as it might well
turn out to be the "world's cheapest electric car" which is more eco-friendly and
has many enthusiasts for its support. It's supposed to be as cheap as the
conventional gasoline version. Tata is making the Nano compliant with export
market regulations and plans to export such a car world-wide, particularly to the
UK and the rest of continental Europe, the US, and Australia.

Used Car Market Effects

The Nano is alleged to have severely affected the used car market in India, as
many Indians opt to wait for the Nano's release rather than buying used cars,
such as the Maruti 800 (a rebadged Suzuki Alto), which is considered as the
Nano's nearest competitor. Sales of new Maruti 800s have dropped by 20%, and

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used ones by 30% following the unveiling of the Nano. As one automotive
journalist summarises; “People are asking themselves – and us - why they
should pay, say, 250,000 Rupees for a Maruti Alto, when they can wait and get a
brand new Nano for less in a few months’ time, a car that is actually bigger”.

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