On January 10, the Tata Group will unveil the People's Car, based on the 1998 concept. Even as you read this, Mr Tata is busy inspecting the microcar models himself at the Pune plant and giving all the Tata Motors managers involved in the project the heebie-jeebies. A truck with all models to be displayed at the Auto Expo has already reached New Delhi, says a source at the plant.

Expect the reaction to be even more dramatic than what happened after the Indica launch. For one, the auto industry will come out of denial. With only a few days to go before Ratan Tata pulls the wraps off what is to be the world’s most effective automobile, there will be no place to hide and ignore this segment.

Some say it will be called 'Jeh' (the first three letters of Jehangir RD Tata's name) but there is another school that seems to suggest that it will be called 'Miracle'. But the names aren't important. What is important is that Tata's People's Car will change the Indian transportation scenario as decisively as Maruti 800 did in 1984.

The Maruti 800, says Jagdish Khattar, the recently retired MD of Maruti Udyog, rewrote the rules of the game with its technology, fuel efficiency, network and engineering. India had been a controlled economy for 30 years and there was nothing else for another 10 years. Maruti opened the floodgates for local-global JVs, introduced Japanese manufacturing practices and changed consumer perception about a mobility. “In many ways it symbolised the aspiration of new India, says Khattar.

Source :- Rediff