Uttarakhand expects first Nano to be from Pantnagar

The countdown for the Nano launch from Mumbai on March 23 may have begun. But the Uttarakhand government is watching closely the development regarding Tata Motors’ plan to launch its small car against the backdrop of its commitment that the world’s cheapest first car would come out from the company’s facility in Uttarakhand.

“There was a commitment that the first Nano will be from Pantnagar,” confirmed chief secretary Indu Kumar Pande.

However, it is not yet clear whether the first car will be from Pantnagar or Pune, the two interim facilities for Nano. So far, there is no official word from Tata Motors in this regard. Officials from the Pantnagar facility refused to comment on the issue.

“We can’t say about the company’s plan,” said an official here. Prior to the announcement, the government is also expecting that the launch could take place at Uttarakhand. But that did not happen. And now, there is still a hope in the hill state that some kind of ceremony should also take place at Pantnagar. But the officials conceded that Mumbai was the best bet as far as the launch of the small car is concerned.

Tata Motors was given more than 1,000 acres at Pantnagar at cheap rates by the state government in the hope that it would set up a Nano manufacturing facility there.

Now that the model code of conduct has come into effect, it would be difficult for politicians as well as chief minister B C Khanduri to attend the March 23 function, which is likely to be a big event.