[prashanthyr]

It is indeed a sad day for West Bengal, when India's best can't do business there. High time Tata pulls out and locates the factory elsewhere. And I hope the WB govt comes up with some compensation for the loss (1800 cr is not pocket change)!

But I have a feeling that they (Tata) would have anticipated this and have plan b, which is to either produce the Nano at Uttaranchal or Pune.

[girish.r]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

Just heard this news. I do not understand why Ratan tata chose WB to make NANO's instead of sticking on to his mother plant. He has an ample place in Dharwad District of Karnataka also. He could have very well choosen here. If WB govt is not able to ful fil its promise, it is better he moves out and sets up the plant somewhere else (maybe to near to the parent plant).

I know he might have got some sops and lease period of land might be higher. But in WB the industrial unrest is too much which is supported by CITU. (my opinion)

I think they have reserved the Dharwad plant for luxury bus manufacturing/assembling unit, may be Marcopolo. Not sure though there was this news that some part of this land will be used for assembling Nano kits for Southern region. Regarding Singur, looks like Tata might have got a good deal, cheap land, cheap labor, power and water resources at a very cheap rate etc. There were earlier protests when Tata announced the Nano plant in Singur & again now the protests are back.
Anybody has any info what attracted Tata all the way to WB?

[Mpower]

anybody know why they went to Singur in the first place?
Is it because labour is cheap there? There are many other places that offer tax sops along with cheap labour.

[motorheadinc]

It all makes virtually no sense to me.
Why would people agitate against something which will do "THEM" lots of benefit.
I believe its mutual.
May the WB government take criminal action against those involved. Else the economic disparity between the whole of country will remain so.
As an analogy can a person walk properly when one leg and one arm is long and the other leg and other arm is short.

Our country is in a similar dilemma.
The common man has to wake up for the cause of the COUNTRY and get beyond
region, religion and all that ...

[maddy42]

From what i have heard is this place singur has pretty fertile lands. I dont understand why would people want to establish industries on such lands. Whats the use of buying a cheap car when you have to pay more for your rice. Now start thinking the other way also.
One more point is if people are using it for political gains there must be a reason for the local populace to be supporting it. Will any of you just leave your lands so that someone can setup an industry?

Coming to a solution to such an issue is not about having meetings with the govt sittin in calcutta but going and getting your shoes dirty and talking to the locals in singur. Try that and you may be able to get a solution. Leave politics aside

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by Mpower

anybody know why they went to Singur in the first place?
Is it because labour is cheap there? There are many other places that offer tax sops along with cheap labour.

They went there because they got the land at rates cheaper than anywhere else in the country. Not only that, Tata is required to pay the land price over a period of some thirty odd years!

[vnabhi]

Yet another blunder by Tatas in investing in an Eastern state. The earlier blunder was Gopalpur Steel Plant. Despite the best of their intentions, their actions do not curry well with the herd mentality in those states.
I feel sorry for Ratan Tata. He'd better do his homework right now onwards!

[rajchetan]

Originally Posted by directinjection

They went there because they got the land at rates cheaper than anywhere else in the country. Not only that, Tata is required to pay the land price over a period of some thirty odd years!

Yep they got their Land Cheap and on Lease. Not sure on the time frame of lease.

If Mr. TATA is reading this, I Welcome TATA MOTORS to Karnataka, we have loads of land and cheap labour and also Highly Knowledgeable and supportive People to add to the already industry supportive government.

Please Please Come to karnataka.

[sbasak]

They went there because they got the land at rates cheaper than anywhere else in the country.

Exactly! One Bengali newspaper reported that WB Govt. gave the land to Tata at 1/6th of market price. The communists are trying hard to get rid of their "anti industrial" image. This is funny because in this very week we had bandhs in WB supported by govt.

Will any of you just leave your lands so that someone can setup an industry?

True. I won't leave my house if Bugatti wants to manufacture Veyron there. However, I might do if they offer me a free Veyron for that.

[agbenny]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

what I dont understand is, why did they go to WB? they could have set up in kerala if they were that desperate for trouble.

Kerala! Do you think so?
I hope Tata has to face similar issues in Kerala - But from the workers and the unions. 30 days of strike/bandh per year guaranteed.

[dkamath]

Originally Posted by directinjection

They went there because they got the land at rates cheaper than anywhere else in the country. Not only that, Tata is required to pay the land price over a period of some thirty odd years!

Beg to differ here. The land incentive would've been offered by any state. Recollect reading somewhere that the proximity to Jamshedpur, as well as two express highways connecting to rest of India, were the main attractions for choosing this site.

Sad to see matters not resolved yet, when the launch is almost around the corner. Hope Tatas move out for the better. Maybe the concerned people would feel proud for this "achievement", rather than a down-to-earth priced car that aroused interest around the world, for being rolled out from their place :(

[svsantosh]

no communal talk here guys - but a practical point of business here.

1) North has become tooooo expensive for land and labour, so unfortunately TATA cannot make a 1L car and stay in business
2) WB Offered land cheap - but @ what cost? Ratan took TOOOO much risk from day 1. I knew it from the deep of my heart....
3) Blore can welcome TATA say somewhere near Mysore or mangalore but its govt is more crazy then the singur protestors - KA lost a chance
4) KL out of question - same reason as WB today
5) MH - pune was a good idea, stay somewhere near the nagpur - pune - igatpuri - pune belt, but WAS power the problem?
6) TN was the best Idea from day 1, Reason, you like it or not - its the detroit of India today. Its on track to be called "Chennai/TN of xyzabc country". Make India proud... Stable Govt, accessability to 2 Ports, Few/Nil labour unrest's, Minimal/Nil terror or caste based disturbances. Already the likes of Ashok Leyland, TVS, FORD, Hyundai, (VW in progress), HM, (i dont know more) are running quite trouble free...

Why WB after all???


---------------edit-----------

rediff

The Detroit of South Asia turns 369!

While I have no love for CPI type politics in West Bengal, to call Chennai the Detroit of India is laughable at best and insulting at worst. I wish people would travel in and around the real Detroit before going all misty-eyed in misguided regional pride and using any metaphor to describe their feelings.

Chennai is Chennai. Don't insult it by calling it the Detroit of India or South Asia.

[penpavan]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

Just heard this news. I do not understand why Ratan tata chose WB to make NANO's instead of sticking on to his mother plant. He has an ample place in Dharwad District of Karnataka also. He could have very well choosen here. If WB govt is not able to ful fil its promise, it is better he moves out and sets up the plant somewhere else (maybe to near to the parent plant).

I know he might have got some sops and lease period of land might be higher. But in WB the industrial unrest is too much which is supported by CITU. (my opinion)

Indeed! I remember during the initial period of Singur violence the "political" heads of Dharwad went to Tata asking them to consider Dharwad for the Nano plant. But I did not follow what Tata replied to them then. Let me try to find out.

But yes, Dharwad, they have a huge plant which is mostly less crowded whenever you see it. I see a lot of new small trucks/407s parked in the back area. If seen from outside, the plant is big but you feel no activity there.

The reason they might have chosen WB could be the proximity to the sea. But yes, lot of other places also have it. Chennai, for example.

[trrk]

Hi agbenny,

> Kerala! Do you think so?
> I hope Tata has to face similar issues in Kerala - But from the workers and
> the unions. 30 days of strike/bandh per year guaranteed.

I think you missed the sarcasm in rippergeo's post!

Tata would not have waited this long to pull out had he set it up in Kerala. Most probably, he would not even have started it by now!