[Assam] Tata's Nano - any innovation or waste of consumer's money

Chan Mahanta cmahanta at charter.net
Thu Jan 10 20:07:56 PST 2008 

At 11:09 AM +0800 1/11/08, Santanoo Medhi wrote:
>I no place including US I know of, the roads came first then the 
>car. In all places, Cars came first and then the roads were built.


**** Except with one significant difference: There is no space to 
expand the roads in Indian cities. The notion of a right-of-way of 
public thoroughfares and space for future expansion does not exist in 
India. There is no room to expand, period.

>
>Also Ford is called a visionary becuase he dreamt of putting a car 
>to every american house hold. He made the car so popular that US 
>Govt had to build the roads. So is Ratan Tata is a visionary. The 
>Nano will force Govt to make roads bigger wider all they will topple.


**** This is where the analogy fails.  America was and continues to 
be a sparsely populated land, unlike India. The USA is nine folds as 
dense( one third of India's population in a land three times as big). 
So Ratan Tata's 'vision', at the very least, is one ninth of Ford's 
:-), if we should be as mindless as toicompare the two in these terms.


>
>Great day for India. I hope Nano goes on to rule the world and 
>change it forever as Ford T model did


**** I wished it would be so. But I know better.





>
>Santanoo
>
>
>
>>  Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:43:12 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> 
>>From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: Re: [Assam] Tata's Nano - any 
>>innovation or waste of consumer's money> > See the attached picture 
>>from NY Times> > 
>>http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/10/world/20080111INDIA_index.html> > > 
>>The Nano is a good looking car. Certainly well designed 
>>considering > Indian needs. But an auto in every Indian household 
>>is an absurd > ambition, and having one will NOT improve the 
>>quality of life of the > people, but worsen it many folds. To copy 
>>everything western or > American , regardless of indigenous needs 
>>or suitability is not the > sign of a progressive 
>>nation.> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But with Nano and 
>>other similar affordable vehicles> coming up, > >sure the only 
>>option to "move around" in> Indian cities will be to > >walk ..... 
>>even the bus will> not move.> >> >That simply is my point too, 
>>Krishnendu. They need good and expanded > >roads, not 
>>cars.> >> >Everybody complains about it, but it has been sort of a 
>>status > >symbol to have atleast a Hyundai Santro in front of the 
>>house.> >> >Here, especially in Texas, businesses are bound to 
>>provide (if they > >want to survive) parking places to get 
>>customers, but in India that > >theme/consideration is not even 
>>there - and it's ok as long as the > >traditional way to go there 
>>is maintained - public transportation. > >One side of that 
>>tradition has been changed - more and more of those > >cars are 
>>coming up - but same old narrow and dusty roads are 
>>still > >there.> >> >It reminds me of the movie where Anil Kapoor 
>>wanted to be the CM for > >a month to change things into the right 
>>direction.> >> >There are pot holes and uneven roads in other 
>>countries, yes, but > >the road condition in the areas that my 
>>folks live in India is, in > >no way comparable to any place in the 
>>US. Thats my perspective only > >- and I believe its an unbiased, 
>>uncompetitive one - on what I see.> >> >We are a little spoilt here 
>>in Texas - everything is huge. But the > >pollution and road 
>>condition that exist in those cities in India is > >just not 
>>comparable.> >> >I love and am proud of the country that I'm 
>>originally from, but > >can't ignore the facts that my own two eyes 
>>could see.> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >"In order to make spiritual 
>>progress you must be patient like a tree > >and humble like a blade 
>>of grass"> >- Lakshmana> >> >> >> >> >> Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 
>>13:31:19 -0800> From: krish_gau at yahoo.com> > >>To: 
>>assam at assamnet.org> Subject: [Assam] Tata's Nano - 
>>any > >>innovation or waste of consumer's money> > Alpana-ba> > 
>>Improving > >>road condition and road to vehicle ratio is> 
>>definietly one of the > >>highest priority for India.> > However, 
>>street parking, public > >>parking near markets> etc are a common 
>>problem in Boston as well. > >>The same> goes true for Veranda's as 
>>well. In Boston suburbs 2> Bed > >>condos with no balcony sell for 
>>250K even in this> dull real estate > >>market. The price is much 
>>higher in> city.> > In fact, my view on > >>driving in America 
>>changed> completely during my current stint in > >>Boston (after> 
>>the earlier stints in sleepy towns of upstate NY > >>and> in 
>>KY). > > Driving is a nightmare with red light jumping, > >>lane> 
>>violation, traffic jam, pedestrians (jay walking) etc.> 
>>The > >>only element missing is cows, authorickshaws and> thelas 
>>:-) ... > >>even giant potholes are common,> particularly after 
>>winter.> > It > >>takes me 50 mins to drive 10 miles from work to> 
>>home even though > >>both my work and home are in Boston> suburbs 
>>(need not travel > >>through Boston city). > > The plus is, now I 
>>am pretty confident > >>that I can> drive in India with ease :) > > 
>>But with Nano and other > >>similar affordable vehicles> coming up, 
>>sure the only option to > >>"move around" in> Indian cities will be 
>>to walk ..... even the bus > >>will> not move.> > > > > From: 
>>"Alpana B. Sarangapani"> > > >><absarangapani at hotmail.com>> > To: 
>><assam at assamnet.org>> > Date: > >>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:48:54 
>>-0600> > Subject: Re: [Assam] Tata's Nano > >>- any innovation 
>>or> > waste pf consumer's money> > > > This is > >>good...> > > > 
>>...it would be even better if road conditions > >>were> > better. 
>>I've seen people having to park on the> > street > >>(that includes 
>>posh areas in Delhi, MP, Tamil> > Nadu, Karnataka, > >>and Assam, 
>>of course). Many don't> > even have a proper verandah, > >>leave 
>>alone a> > space/garage inside their compound. > > > > 
>>A > >>country where public transportation has been so> > good 
>>(that > >>includes Taxis, Rickshwas,> > Auto-Rickshwas, 'Trackers' 
>>and what > >>not!), more than> > private cars, the road 
>>space/condition needs to > >>be> > taken care of first. And parking 
>>space near the> > markets? > >>As you know!, that's another 
>>nightmare! > > > > If I was a current > >>resident of India, I 
>>would still> > prefer going by a bus to > >>places. But I 
>>understand> > the economy has been booming...the only > >>thing 
>>is> > that every issue that contributes towards having 
>>a> > > >>quality living needs to be taken care of, be it by> > 
>>the > >>government itself (if that is not done by the> > 
>>government), or by > >>the influential business> > 
>>magnates/tycoons/groups. > > > > My two > >>cents' 
>>worth. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "In order to 
>>make > >>spiritual progress you must be> > patient like a tree and 
>>humble > >>like a blade of> > grass"> > - 
>>Lakshmana> > > > > > > > > > > Date: > >>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 01:28:38 
>>-0800> From:> > jaipurschool at yahoo.com> > >>To: 
>>assam at assamnet.org>> > Subject: [Assam] Tata's Nano - 
>>any > >>innovation or> > waste pf consumer's 
>>money> >> >> > >>http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Ratan-Tata-unveils-Rs-1lakh-Nano/259912/>> > > > >>Umesh 
>>Sharma> > Washington D.C. > > 1-202-215-4328> > [Cell]> > > >>Ed.M. 
>>- International Education Policy>> > Harvard Graduate School > >>of 
>>Education,> Harvard> > University,> Class of 
>>2005> >> > > >>http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu> > 
>>info)> > > >>http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management 
>>Info)> >> > > > > > >>www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 
>>are> > used 
>>)> > >>http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/> > > >> > > >>http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/> >> > > >>---------------------------------> 
>>Support the World> > Aids > >>Awareness campaign this month with 
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