Tata Nano

Following the Tata Nano as it went on sale in India some weeks ago was a lesson in the Indian counting system. A press release on the Tata media page read: “The Tata Nano has drawn over 2.03 lakh fully paid bookings amounting to nearly Rs.2,500 crores, in an encouraging response to the car launched on 23rd March.” I also learned that the Tata Nano website had 30 crore hits in the month following.

Huh? I said to myself. Turns out a lakh is 100,000 and a crore is ten million— which means 203,000 fully paid orders for 25 billion India rupees, or over a half-billion US dollars. Not bad for an introduction.

The tiny four-seater sells in India for around US$2,700 (prices are all over the place depending on what state you’re buying in), and the US press has given the car fairly good reviews for what it is — an alternative to piling the family onto the back of a scooter.

Tata Nano interior

Tata is supposedly working on a more substantial model which we could see in North America by 2012. Should be interesting. See more by clicking here.