50 likes | 71 Views
Notes on Indian car manufacture. The growth of the new middle class in India has provided a market for Western style consumer goods including the motor car. Automobile industry - India.
E N D
Notes on Indian car manufacture The growth of the new middle class in India has provided a market for Western style consumer goods including the motor car.
Automobile industry - India • Renault and Nissan are joining forces with India's Mahindra & Mahindra to build a new $900m (£458m) car plant in the city of Madras (Chennai). • Mahindra, India's fourth-largest car firm, will own 50% of the venture with its partners controlling the rest. • Production is expected to start in 2009 and the plant will ultimately be able to turn out 400,000 cars a year. • Foreign firms have flocked to India because of the economy's strong growth and low costs. • Both Ford and Hyundai have already opened plants in Madras (Chennai).
India Motor Car Industry • There has been a revolution in the small car market with the new development of the Tata Group's People's Car. This is a tiny motor car, retailing at around $2,500. Tata's promise • This an ultra cheap, ultra small car, created for the common man in India - and it is an attempt to give millions of Indians the chance to participate in the benefits of India's strong economic growth.
Discussion questions • Why is the Tata Nano so cheap to produce? • How has the advent of cheap motoring affected Britain and its economy? • What are the implications of cheap car manufacture in terms of the infrastructure of the Indian transport system? • What are the implications for the price of oil if Indian car ownership rises? • What are the implications for global warming and for sustainability if car use rises in India?