Sanand unit clocks just 2.56 lakh Nanos in 7 years

According to the Gujarat government, the highest number of cars produced at this facility was recorded during calendar 2012, when over 78,000 units rolled out. The ebb in production has prompted Tata Motors to utilise the vacant capacity at Sanand to manufacture other models. “The installed capacity at the Sanand plant is 2.5 lakh units per annum. While we do not share a production break-up of products, we are glad to report that we have ramped up production at the plant, to cater to the ever-increasing demand for ours cars including the hatchback Tiago and our recently launched Styleback Tigor,” said a Tata Motors spokesperson.

When asked if Nano would be phased out in the near future, the spokesperson stated: “We today have six platforms, and going forward will reduce it to two platforms. Our Advance Modular Platform follows an architecture approach targeted to reduce complexity, provide for future technologies and ensure global relevance and deliver more products, for greater market coverage, with lesser platforms. As mentioned before, the AMP will be applicable to new product line-up starting from 2019.”

The Nano brand has had a long association with the National Institute of Design-Ahmedabad wherein the automaker gave students an LX model of Nano to work on for a period of 3-5 years in 2012-13. Vipul Vinzuda, coordinator of transportation and automobile design at NID said: “Rather than shelve the car, they should utilise the concept on the lines of the two-door European smart cars.”

Narrating the association of NID with the Nano, Vinzuda said: “Our brief was to change the people’s perspective of the Nano. A Nano was given to us. It can still be found at our PG campus. Apart from holding an internal design contest for students to re-imagine the Nano, two NID students also made Nano a part of their graduation project in 2013-14. Both students were later hired by Tata Motors for their futuristic design projects based on the car titled ‘Tata Nano for Women’ and ‘Tata Nano Go Anywhere’. While we don’t know if any direct inputs from the students were taken, but the car was relaunched later as ‘Nano Twist’. Many of our alumni are part of Tata Motors and it was a proud association for NID as the car had caught the popular imagination as the ‘wonder car’ with its low-cost design and modest pricing.”