A 624cc rear-engined car unveiled at Rs 1 lakh in 2008. Sales peaked at 74,527 in 2011-12; Tata made one in June 2018.
Ratan Tata kept seeing families of four on one scooter and asked if a safe, all-weather car could cost about Rs 1 lakh.
Girish Wagh led about 500 engineers. They put a 624cc two-cylinder engine at the rear and designed every part around the price.
On 10 January 2008 Ratan Tata kept the Rs 1 lakh price despite rising costs: 'A promise is a promise.'
Protests over 997 acres of farmland halted work. Tata left on 3 October 2008 and chose Sanand, Gujarat, four days later.
Only the base model, ex-factory at Pantnagar. About 2.03 lakh people booked in April 2009; the first 1 lakh were picked by draw.
The 2.5-lakh-a-year Sanand plant opened on 2 June 2010. Then fire incidents hit trust; Tata extended the warranty to four years.
Tested without airbags in January 2014, the Nano scored zero stars for adult protection. Sales had peaked at 74,527 in 2011-12.
Launched 19 May 2015 with an openable hatch, a bigger tank and an Easy Shift AMT. Tata now sold it as a smart city car.
Tata made one Nano in June 2018 and none in 2019. It was not upgraded for BS-VI rules from April 2020.
In 2023 a tribunal awarded Tata Rs 765.78 crore plus interest for Singur. Ratan Tata died in October 2024; the Nano is still studied as frugal engineering.
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