Wrong Year

Your Motoring supplement issue (January 15) published Milestones of Indias Auto Industry on page 8. But there seems to be an anomaly as regards the establishment of Hindustan Motors.

HM was first started as a partnership firm by Manubhai Mehta, G D Birla and the Maharaja of Okha a princely state in Saurashtra sometime in 1942. The unit was located at Port Okha and used to import CKD Morris cars.

After Independence and since the iron & steel controller was in Calcutta and the main requirement was steel, the unit was shifted to Uttarpara near Calcutta. The first CEO was Manubhai Mehta with the office in Tower House, near Chowringhee.