Tata's 100,000 Rupee car
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/dec2007/gb2007125_021655.htm?chan=search
I've been thinking about this $3000 car a fair bit of late. Especially when I'm stuck in traffic while trying to get from work (Lalbaug) to home (Chembur). In the morning, the onward journey takes about half an hour - because I leave home at 8.00am. The return trip in the evening is about 60-90 minutes... depending on the time of the year. Festivals, Dalit leader birthdays... all make predicting an arrival time virtually impossible.
But the one steady issue is traffic. Its always there. And imagine whats gonna happen to our choked roads and heavily carbonated/ leaded air when Tata unveils the 100,000 Rupee car. Imagine my office boy (who already has a fancier cell phone than mine) adding to the traffic. For increasing market share, have the likes of Tata and Nissan given up on their social responsibility?? How good will such a car be? Will it be compliant with the environmental standards... however badly implemented it may be? Will the cars be safe?
Thats when I came across this story... and I'm glad Maruti Suzuki is not getting into this space. Commendable. I rather have 10 bigger semi-luxury cars on the road than 1000 small economy-types driven by the peons and chowkidars.
My buddy Sheik - always known to be relaxed and objective - has an interesting point of view. He says it is great that these big companies are coming out with smaller/ cheaper cars. The saturation point (the day we will not be able to move on the roads) will be reached sooner... and the administration will be forced to do something about our appalling infrastructure. Right now, the increase in our worries is a gradual problem - and we accommodate these issues in our lives and the govt just ignores it. The day shit hits the roof - the saturation point - we may be in for a better life. An easy first step would be to get citizens to hawk where they are supposed to hawk, walk where they are supposed to walk - and drive where they are supposed to drive.
All in all - we are in for bad times.
I've been thinking about this $3000 car a fair bit of late. Especially when I'm stuck in traffic while trying to get from work (Lalbaug) to home (Chembur). In the morning, the onward journey takes about half an hour - because I leave home at 8.00am. The return trip in the evening is about 60-90 minutes... depending on the time of the year. Festivals, Dalit leader birthdays... all make predicting an arrival time virtually impossible.
But the one steady issue is traffic. Its always there. And imagine whats gonna happen to our choked roads and heavily carbonated/ leaded air when Tata unveils the 100,000 Rupee car. Imagine my office boy (who already has a fancier cell phone than mine) adding to the traffic. For increasing market share, have the likes of Tata and Nissan given up on their social responsibility?? How good will such a car be? Will it be compliant with the environmental standards... however badly implemented it may be? Will the cars be safe?
Thats when I came across this story... and I'm glad Maruti Suzuki is not getting into this space. Commendable. I rather have 10 bigger semi-luxury cars on the road than 1000 small economy-types driven by the peons and chowkidars.
My buddy Sheik - always known to be relaxed and objective - has an interesting point of view. He says it is great that these big companies are coming out with smaller/ cheaper cars. The saturation point (the day we will not be able to move on the roads) will be reached sooner... and the administration will be forced to do something about our appalling infrastructure. Right now, the increase in our worries is a gradual problem - and we accommodate these issues in our lives and the govt just ignores it. The day shit hits the roof - the saturation point - we may be in for a better life. An easy first step would be to get citizens to hawk where they are supposed to hawk, walk where they are supposed to walk - and drive where they are supposed to drive.
All in all - we are in for bad times.
posted by Arun Nair at
4:42 PM
1 Comments:
Lee Kwan Yew, the wise old man, talked the truth once again in an interview about India last month. The traffic issue will only be addressed in India when the politician will not be authorized to travel again with flashing red light and police escort to open the road for them. In Singapore the ministers and parliament member are not allowed such treatment...It is so simple but so true.
Fred
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