‘Stupid if you are not in Gujarat’, said Ratan Tata at 2007 Vibrant Summit; Nano arrived a year later

New Delhi: ‘It is stupid if you are not in Gujarat’, said industrialist Ratan Tata at the 2007 Vibrant Gujarat Summit. His words and endorsement of ‘being the best time to invest in Gujarat’ slogan reverberated through the audience, capturing the sentiment of attendees. Interestingly, Tata Nano project arrived in the state a year later, after shifting its base from Bengal’s Singur.

Modi Archive, a popular Twitter handle shared the story of Tata Nano’s ‘homecoming’ to Gujarat and how the state government pulled out all the stops to make this a reality.

Tata Nano project was initially rolled out in Bengal’s Singur but the long-drawn demonstrations and insurmountable challenges forced it to exit the state, scouting for an investor-friendly state. Tata Motors made the tough decision to withdraw from the state while the fate of Nano, the world’s most affordable car, remained hanging in balance.

It was in August 2008 that Ratan Tata abandoned the idea and as expected, was wooed by many state governments to set up its factory in their regions. Several states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, rushed in with their proposals but none could compete with the swift and attractive offer from Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi. The Chief Minister offered prime land at Sanand with swiftness, at highly subsidised rates and also took a keen interest in Ratan Tata’s dream project.

In addition, the Gujarat government extended a loan on favourable terms. Remarkably, within just 96 hours, all administrative processes were completed, and the deal was sealed.

As the decks were cleared for relocation of the Tata Nano project to Gujarat, Ratan Tata said, “I thank Gujarat for making this our home so quickly”.

It was on October 7, 2008, that Tata Motors officially announced the relocation of its Nano plant to Gujarat.

Later, in a function unveiling the ambitious Tata Nano project, Ratan Tata and CM Narendra Modi made gushing praise for each other.

Ratan Tata described the moment as “homecoming’. Speaking in Gujarati, he said, “Aapde ahiya na chhiye, ane aapde ahiya paachha aavya” (We belong here, and we have come back).

Gujarat CM said that it was important to see that the project, for which so many countries were vying for, stays in India.

“It didn’t matter which state took it up, as long as it stayed in India,” he said.

–IANS