Tata Motors look to Scandinavian companies to raise eco-awareness

Executives at India's Tata Motors admit that their company is a bit behind the times when it comes to environmental awareness when compared to established players in Europe. "We are behind as far as the world is concerned. There are many Scandinavian companies because they are more conscious of this than the rest of us," says JJ Irani, a director for Tata's automotive business. He adds, "We are not shy of learning."

For this reason, Irani and a few of his colleagues are currently visiting a number of large European companies in an attempt to pick up a few pointers on how to improve their eco-credentials. In addition, the group has plans to meet with executives at some of the world's largest oil companies. Irani hopes these meetings will allow Tata to "catch up faster" than if they were on their own.

What's the big deal? For one, the Tata Nano promises to be one of the most popular vehicles in the world due to its extremely low price and decent performance. This car is going to need huge new plants created for its assembly, and these meetings will hopefully help Tata build the new car with as little impact to the environment as possible.

[Source: Financial Times]