Automobile major Tata Motors produced only 613 Nano cars in last one year

Before June 2017 to May 2018 period -- Tata motors used to produce 1446 such cars in its plant which was set up at a cost of Rs 7076 crores. The plant was set up in Sanand after a stand off between West Bengal government and the company over the land acquired for the same in Singur area of the eastern state.

The information was rendered by state government to a question by Congress MLA C J Chavda during the question hour on the first day of the monsoon session.

The company had made investment in two phases for the plant. In the first phase it had invested Rs 3122 cores and invested Rs 3954 crores in the second phase.

The plant had a production capacity of 250,000 Nano cars per annum.

Nano, once touted as the world's cheapest car was said to be the brainchild of Ratan Tata, who envisaged giving a safer and more affordable alternative to families riding on two-wheelers. The plant was originally planned to be built at Singur in West Bengal, but the land acquisition led to public agitations and, finally, in a police firing 14 people were killed in Nandigram.

In October 2008, Tata pulled out from West Bengal project and relocated it to Gujarat following the invitation from the then chief minister Narendra Modi. There were objections against acquiring land in Sanand also.

However, the state government managed to secure the land. The Sanand plant started operation in mid-2010, but Nano failed to rise up when passenger vehicle business of Tata's was sinking.

The integrated facility which has now changed its assembly line for manufacturing of other models of cars is spread over 725 acres, and also has an adjacent vendor park, spread over 375 acres originally meant to house key component manufacturers for the Tata Nano.