Tata Motors’ Nano dreams: From Singur in West Bengal to Sanand in Gujarat

Tata Motors has finally won compensation from the West Bengal government after its Singur project was scrapped 16 years ago due to protests over alleged land-grab. The facility in Singur, Tata Motors' first in West Bengal, was planned to manufacture its most affordable and smallest car Nano. Due to protests, Tata Motors had to shift its plans to set up Nano factory from Singur to Sanand in Gujarat. Here is a quick look at the timeline leading up to the launch of Tata Nano.

2007: Tata's Singur factory construction starts

In January, construction of Tata Motors’ factory begins in Singur, West Bengal after the erstwhile Left Front government allowed the carmaker to set up a new manufacturing plant near Kolkata. In 2003, Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Group had publicly announced the Singur factory where he intended to build the ₹1 lakh Nano, India’s most affordable car ever.

In June, Tata Motors faced the first hurdle over its Singur facility when Mamata Banerjee, then the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, started her agitation over alleged corruption in handing over lands from farmers to the carmaker. Her protests ultimately led to violence in December when the state government tried to evict protesters from the site to clear way for Tata Motors to start construction.

2008: First Tata Nano showcased, Sanand replaces Singur

Tata Motors showcased the first Nano model at the Auto Expo held in New Delhi. The Nano made its first global appearance at the Geneva Motor Show a few months later in March. By October, Ratan Tata had decided to pull out of West Bengal and shift the carmaker’s new facility in Singur. He made a formal announcement calling off the Singur project, leaving Tata’s Nano dreams in limbo. A week later, Tata confirmed that Sanand in Gujarat has been finalised as the new location for its factory which will build the car.

2009: Tata launches Nano as India's smallest car

Tata Motors formally launched the Nano nearly six years after Ratan Tata first confirmed the introduction of India’s most affordable car. Within two months, Tata Motors clocked more than two lakh bookings for the Nano with the top-end variant garnering half of the bookings. The first Nano was delivered to Ashok Raghunath Vichare, a resident of Mumbai, in July.

2010: Tata's Sanand plant becomes operational

Tata Motors inaugurates its new facility in Sanand, Gujarat. The facility, which continued to produce Nano till the production was stopped, had an initial capacity of 2.5 lakh units every year. It was later extended to about 3.5 lakh units.