As India and the world mourn the loss of Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Group who transformed a traditional Indian conglomerate into a global powerhouse through several high-profile acquisitions, a video of Tesla CEO Elon Musk praising him has gone viral on social media.
He fulfilled his promise to build the world’s cheapest car.
– Ratan Tata wanted to build a car, which the middle class of India could afford and so he delivered on his promise and launched Tata Nano for just $1,200 (₹1 lakh) in 2008.
– @ElonMusk also shared his views on the… pic.twitter.com/QqTY5KuQLK
— Nico Garcia (@nicogarcia) August 26, 2024
Shared by X user Nico Garcia, a 2009 video of a conversation between billionaire Elon Musk and TV presenter Charlie Rose has resurfaced on social media following Ratan Tata’s passing. In the video, Rose and Musk discuss Tata’s ambitious project at the time, the Tata Nano—a car launched by the company that cost Rs 1 lakh and can still be seen on Indian roads today.
Must Read: Ratan Tata’s Nano Ride To Taj Hotel Resurfaces And Goes Viral Again: WATCH Here
Rose posed the question, “Take for a moment Ratan Tata, what he’s doing in India — developing a little sedan for $2300. Where do you put that in the whole equation of where the future of cars is?” as they discussed the future of the automotive industry. Musk responded, “I think it’s a good idea to have affordable cars, but I think the problem is with something like the Nano… I wouldn’t say it’s a problem because I think, by the way, it is probably a great idea and Ratan is a gentleman and scholar.”
However, Musk added a note of caution, saying, “But where it’s going to become challenging in the future is when the price of gasoline rises; the cost of acquiring the car is much less of an issue than the cost of running the car.”
Also Read: Ratan Tata’s Last Words Go Viral: ‘Thank You For Thinking Of Me’, Stirs Emotions
