Tata Motors' delayed ‘Nano’ project got a boost with the Uttarakhand government providing the company an additional 45 acres of land at its Pantnagar facility. This was announced by State Chief Secretary I K Pandey. The decision was taken at a high-powered meeting held chaired by the state Chief Minister B C Khanduri.

 

Tata Motors was given 955 acres of land for its ‘Ace’ truck plant at Pantnagar by the previous Congress government. At present this facility of Tata Group is manufacturing ‘Ace’ mini trucks and few parts of the ‘Nano’. The allotment is expected to help the company in rolling out the world's least priced car at Rs 1 lakh after delays due to the Singur imbroglio.

 

The company had to shift the mother plant to Sanand in Gujarat from Singur, due to opposition from Trinamool Congress over land acquisition. It had planned to invest Rs 1,500 crore at Singur, which was increased to Rs 2,000 crore, when it shifted to Sanand.

 

The ‘Nano’ was originally planned to be commercially launched around Durga Puja this year but has been postponed to the last quarter of this fiscal. The company is planning to produce the Nano from its various locations, including Pune and Pantnagar, till the mother plant at Sanand is ready.