TATA NANO 11-OCT-2012
A Case Study Analysis
BY SADAT FARUQUE

Tata Nano - People‘s Car
Following India's growing openness, the arrival of new and
existing models, easy availability of finance at relatively low rate
of interest and price discounts offered by the dealers and
manufacturers all have stirred the demand for vehicles and a
strong growth of the Indian automobile industry.

TATA NANO – The Blue Ocean ?
• Affordable rate and Prestige at Rs.1 lakh.
• Safer option with not very high speed.
• Main focus on people with 2 wheelers, concerned parents
and retired people.
• Low maintenance.
• Fuel efficient.

Drawbacks
• Auto Rickshaw and cab drivers are looking at the Nano as
an alternative.
• Cant take rough roads.
• Doesn’t have enough space.

Is Tata Nano a Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) ?
According to Kim and Mauborgne, in a Blue Ocean
Strategy, one creates uncontested markets space where
the competition is irrelevant, invents and captures new
demand, and offers customers a leap in value while
also streamlining the cost.
Features of BOS that the authors claim are :
i) It’s not about technology innovation,
ii) It doesn’t have to a venture into a new arena,
iii) It never use the competition as benchmark,
iv) Its reduces the cost while also offering customers
more value.

SWOT Analysis - Tata Nano:
STRENGTH OPPORTUNITIES
Brand name TATA Large market for selling
Cost price low Awareness in the market
Fuel efficient First car in low range
Safe (European Safety Standards) Can hit in global market
WEAKNESS THREATS
Low power Company rival
Not a status symbol Not sure to hit in rural and
Limited features semi-urban areas

TATA has come up with a one lakh rupee car that may create a unique market
position for the “Nano” brand and operate in a Blue Ocean market. The Value a
Nano will bring to its customers will be totally different from a high end car say a
Mercedes S Class. But, because the value is as perceived by the buyer, it will be
unique. Value flows from the customer to the supplier. This is contrary to a
supply chain where the flow is from the supplier to the customer. Value can be
categorized in various layered levels. At the core is the ― “Product Value” or the
technical value derived from a source of supply. For e. g. let us again consider the
TATA Nano. The product value for the buyer may be access to an economic mode
of four wheel transportation. The second layer consists of the ― “Service Value”
or the value provided by the services surrounding the product. The service value
for the Nano may be the warranty the car will carry which in turn will provide an
ownership experience free of maintenance costs. The third and the penultimate
ring will be the ― “Wow Value” or the factors leading to customer delight.

These may consist of factors such as space (which is said to be considerably more
than theMaruti-800, its nearest competitor) and ergonomics of the car, given the
price point it will operate in. The interesting thing here is to note that these factors
will be completely different for a Mercedes customer. The “Wow Value” i.e. space
in the TATA Nano won‘t excite such a customer. May be a beer cooler as a
standard accessory w ill !! Toyota launched its luxury sedan “Lexus” as a
different brand (not as another Toyota car) because they felt that to compete with
the BMW and Mercedes brands, they need a brand which will provide a greater
“Snob Value” which the “Value for Money” image of Toyota brand couldn‘t
afford.

IS TATA NANO REALLY CREATING a BLUE OCEAN ??