Tata Motors regrets Nano catching fire in Mumbai

Tata Motors today said it felt remorse over the fact that one of its Nanos caught fire recently in Mumbai.

"One such odd incident (of the Nano car catching fire) was reported. We are remorseful about what happened," Tata Motors managing director-India Prakash Telang told reporters on the sidelines of a function in Mumbai today. "We are yet to ascertain what happened. The matter is under investigation," he said.

Last year, a few Nano cars emitted smoke but the company said this problem was identified and rectified.

Talang said the new Nano car plant in Sanand, Gujarat, will be operational in the first quarter of next fiscal. "The Sanand plant will start production soon, may be in a month or two," he said. The backlog of around two lakh Nanos (booking) will be cleared by this December, he said.

At the function, Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata handed over six Nanos to Smile Train, a charity organisation that helps children with cleft by providing free cleft surgery. These cars will be used by six hospitals across the country, to raise awareness for the problem of cleft and a simple surgery which can correct it, Smile Train's co-founder and president Brian Mullaney said.