A Brand Designed
A brand designed to lure burgeoning middle class saw expectations going out of proportion with its realized success. Another brand listed on London Stock Exchange was slapped a tax notice of about INR3.24 billion (US$55 million), and charged with violating several rules by the excise department in India. Investment by a brand on a project has been mired in controversy for 10 years. Construction of a planned city has lost three years, as-yet-incomplete city.
After having successfully launched the low cost Tata Ace truck in 2005, Tata Motors began development of an affordable car that would appeal to the many Indians who drive motorcycles. Tata Motors announced in 2006 that the Nano would be manufactured in Singur, West Bengal. Local farmers soon began protesting the forced acquisition of their land the new factory entailed. Tata first delayed the Nano launch and later decided to build the car in a different state, Gujarat, instead. Sales of the Nanos nearest competitor, the Maruti 800, fell by 20% immediately following the unveiling of the Nano. Things did not go as expected. There were reports of several fire incidents involving the Nano. Despite Tatas claim that it was expecting 4 stars, the Nano actually achieved zero stars. The car had immense potential in the developing world but opportunities were wasted due to initial problems.
Vedanta Resources, a global diversified metals and mining company headquartered in London, United Kingdom is the largest mining and non-ferrous metals company in India and also has mining operations in Australia and Zambia. Vedanta has been criticized by human rights and activist groups, because of the companys operations in Niyamgiri Hills in Orissa that are said to threaten the lives of the people who populate this region and wildlife habitat in Eastern Ghats of India. Vedantas Alumina Refinery in Lanjigarh was criticised by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board for air pollution and water pollution in the area. According to Amnesty International, local people reported dust from the plant settling on clothes, crops and food. Vedanta officials claimed there was no dust pollution from the plant at all. An environmental inspection of the plant reported water pollution by the plant including increasing the pH value of the river Vamshadhara below the refinery and a high level of SPM in the stack emissions.In October 2009 it was reported that the British government has criticised Vedanta for its treatment of the Dongria Kondh tribe in Orissa, India. The company refused to