SBI to be sole booking agent for Nano

Country's largest lender SBI today said it has been appointed as the sole booking agent for the world's least expensive car, Nano, from the stable of Tatas.

"SBI has been selected as the sole booking agent for Nano," SBI Chief General Manager (Bengal Circle) J K Sinha told reporters here.

He, however, declined to comment on the details of the booking process for the much-awaited car, saying "details will be announced in the next 15 days".

When contacted, a Tata Motors spokesperson said, "It is premature for Tata Motors to make any comments. The company will make appropriate announcements at the appropriate time."

The Rs 1-lakh Nano has captured the imagination of the people ever since its unveiling in the Auto Expo in New Delhi last year.

The company had set a deadline of launching the car in the last quarter of this fiscal after it had to relocate from the proposed manufacturing plant at Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat due to protests over land acquisition led by Trinamool Congress.

Originally, Tata Motors had planned to launch Nano by Durga Puja last year itself. But now the car will be rolled out from the company's facilities at Pantnagar and Pune in limited quantities.