The Singur plant will require a full 1,000 acres since the ancillary units are an integral part of the small-car project, Tata Motors has clarified to the state government through a letter.

"We had sent a letter to the Tata Motors managing director (Ravi Kant) to find out what exactly they had written to Mamata Banerjee on the land requirement in Singur and its use,' industries minister Nirupam Sen said today.

"He has replied that the small-car plant would need 1,000 acres, and that the vendors or ancillary units are very much part of the project.'

A "worried' Ratan Tata has no intention to pull out of Singur "until and unless forced to do so', the Bengal government said tonight in the first public admission that the car project is not as foregone as was being made out.

"Actually, he is quite worried about the developments in Singur. He did not anticipate this kind of thing to happen for such a project,' industries minister Nirupam Sen said tonight after meeting Ratan Tata at a city hotel.

Bs Reporter / Mumbai August 21, 2008, 0:53 IST

Tata Motors drops Rs 3,000-cr convertible preference share issue plan: To sell investments to group firms for part-financing JLR acquisition.

Tata Motors has decided to scrap a plan to raise Rs 3,000 crore by issuing convertible preference shares to help part-finance the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover.

The company's board, which met today, instead decided to sell investments to group companies at the prevailing market prices over the next six to eight months.

Bs Reporter / Mumbai August 2, 2008, 5:49 IST

The growing impact of inflation on car sales is clearly reflected in the dismal growth in domestic sales of the country's three leading auto-makers

Chennai, Aug. 1: Rising interest rates, fuel prices, inflation and the shaky quarterly results finally seem to be catching on the resilient auto industry. The passenger vehicle segment, which has been weathering the market forces for the last few months, registered a subdued growth in sales during July.

BY PARWEZ HAFEEZ and DIBYAJYOTI CHAUDHURI

Kolkata,July 31: A day after Tata Motors' managing director Ravikant expressed serious concerns over the continuing disturbances around Nano's plant at Singur and warned that their patience was running out, the state government invited Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee for talks. She contemptuously rejected the invitation.

It is the Trinamul Congress-led Save Farmland Committee which has threatened that it would not allow the Tatas to roll out Nano in October as planned.

Looking at making an electric car

To enter into defence equipment production

DAUNTING YEAR: Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata addressing shareholders at the company's annual meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.

MUMBAI: The current fiscal is going to be a difficult year with policy uncertainties, fuel price rise, increasing costs and inflation, Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata said here on Thursday. "It will be a difficult year and a daunting year but it is not necessary that it will be a bad year,' he said, addressing the shareholders at the company's 63rd annual general meeting.

BS Reporter / Mumbai July 25, 2008, 0:33 IST

Says fuel price increase and subsequent rise in input prices pushed overall costs.

Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors said that rising costs of fuel and raw materials are the biggest worry for the automobile industry. Tata also warned of tough times for the company as its market share slid in the last financial year.

The company's market share fell from 19.21 per cent in 2006-07 to 15.78 per cent last year, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam).

After October Launch, Co May Schedule More Deliveries For The New Year

Lijee Philip MUMBAI

PROSPECTIVE customers of Tata Motors' Nano are learnt to be more keen on owning a 2009 model, compared to a September 2008 make, prompting the auto major to schedule more deliveries in the New Year.