Under the cover of darkness, the world's cheapest car arrived in Mumbai yesterday. Aditya Anand reports on the buzz surrounding the unveiling of the most-awaited car of the year this evening.
Under the cover of darkness, the world's cheapest car arrived in Mumbai yesterday. Aditya Anand reports on the buzz surrounding the unveiling of the most-awaited car of the year this evening.
12.30 am, Sunday: Under the cover of darkness in the dead of night, when Mumbai's incessant traffic had
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slowed down, and pedestrians were few, seven gleaming cars purred their way into the rolling grounds at the Parsi Gymkhana, Marine Drive.
The moment the cars, all in different colours (white, a metallic greys, a matte grey, red, blue, green and yellow), reached the gym, three police inspectors, two jeeps full of cops and a wireless patrol van, created a security cordon. It was a well-planned, better-executed operation that ensured public nuisance was at a minimum.
The cars were then parked on the gymkhana grounds, in a pre-assigned formation, draped in a shiny silk. Next to the cars, was a mysterious, mammoth balloon, which officials refused to elaborate on.
Red carpet
Through the day yesterday, workers were busy laying the red carpet, erecting barricades and testing the volume of the heavy-duty speakers. A Tata spokesperson said, "It promises to be a showstopper, but no one's being let in today [yesterday]."u00a0 The security men, however, guided eager journalists to the adjoining flyover promising a birds eye view.
"Move on and come tomorrow or the cops will shoo you away," a walkie-talkie wielding private security officer told a group of camera toting news photographers requesting for exclusive pictures. Said Marine Drive senior police inspector Sanjay Amrute, "We had to constantly chase people away that were too close to the grounds."
The unveiling at 7 pm is expected to have the who's who from the business and political world.
Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata, arrived in Mumbai from a trip abroad to oversee last-minute preparations for the launch. The launch has been divided into three segments, a luncheon with senior editors and Tata management, a press conference and the launch in the evening.
Tata spent yesterday holding an impromptu meeting with top officials of Tata Motors. According to Tata officials, the chairman looked calm and composed as he met up with his top brass. "Compared to the day preceding the Nano's launch at the auto expo in Delhi last year, Mr Tata was far more relaxed with different challenges this time," an official said.
Lottery
The car will be allotted through a lottery system. Hence, early booking does not mean allotment will be certain. Once allotted, the car will be delivered in two months. Interestingly, for now, no one gets more than one Nano from the company.
Nano facts
Just 2,000 units of the car will be ready today. According to dealers, the company expects to produce 1,000 to 1,500 Nanos in April. This will go up to 2,000 in May, 3,000 in June and 4,000 by July. From September, Tata Motors wants to manufacture 7,000 cars a month.
Booking your Nano...
>>u00a0Through authorised Tata motor dealers
>>u00a0At a Croma or Westside store
>>u00a0SBI branches
>>u00a0Or book online on the Tata Motors website
How?
>>u00a0Fill out the application form, which costs Rs 300
>>u00a0Submit the form with 70 to 80 per cent deposit of the Nano's price
>>u00a0Payment in the form of cheque or demand draft will be accepted
Required
Voter ID, passport, driving license or PAN card
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