When I searched for the Tata Nano car on the Greenpeace webpage, expecting a campaign against the increase in distribution of polluting vehicles. I was instead met by a campaign concerning the survival of turtles, due to the Tata Nano production companies construction of ports in Dharma, along the beach restricting them from their natural habitat. Thousands of turtles will pay the price the campaign warns.

As illuminated by others posting on this interesting article, I too am concerned about the potential safety impacts of this potentially very successful automobile firm. It is certainly fantastic that a larger majority of Indians will now be able to purchase cars; but what is the price? The safety of these vehicles has been called into question multiple times not only for the passengers within in, but those who are potentially subject to the reckless driving of new car owners who have little experience operating a vehicle through the crowded city streets of Mumbai, Delhi, or Calcutta. Inexperience drivers coupled with ill-equipped roads and poorly monitored traffic violations make for potential disaster. Potential fatalities and injuries aside, the low cost of these cars lends itself to a large demand and high sales, which will, as we have seen in China, hugely increase the pollution of India, the world's second largest and and continually increasing national population. In an uncontrolled, liberal market economy, such results are inevitable. But we've seen the damage this kind of economy has on social and environmental structures; perhaps it's time to move towards a more controlled economic system so we do not continue in this downward spiral.

The growth of Industries in India is disproportionate to the growth of Infrastucture in the country. India has a a middle class 400 million strong and a purchasing power (judged by the PPP) fourth in the world. One of the biggest problems for Cities like Mumbai, Delhi and other metropolitans in the country is traffic and proposed projects to handle the same will take years to complete. Till that happens, the introduction of the Nano will be a huge burden on the underdeveloped infrastructure of the country. Although the project was started with a Noble cause of 'giving almost every Indian family a car because it is safer' six years ago, the pace with which India has grown and the contribution of the middle class in that growth are indicators enough that India cannot handle the Nano. In a country of a 400 million potential customers and an underdeveloped infrastructure, it just does not make sense to introduce the 'cheapest car in the world'.

The Tata Nano is definitely compact and extremely cheap for buying a car. Though there seems to be a lot of concerns, it seems the need for a car is more important to them. The last quote of a man wanting to own a car to be able to take his wife around since she is less able to get around herself is something that demonstrates their want and need to own cars in order to function in this world more conveniently.