Buddha looks to Chinese auto firm to save Singur

05 November 2008

The West Bengal government, still licking the wounds of Tata Motors' pull-out of the `Nano' small car project from the state, is looking to communist China's largest automobile manufacturer to save it from the ignominy.

The state government has included Singur in a list of sites being considered by Chinese automobile manufacturer First Automobile Works Limited (FAW) for setting up base in India.

Rendian Sheng, vice president of First Automobile, who met chief minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee and industries minister Nirupam Sen at the state secretariat today, has expressed interest in opening an automobile manufacturing unit in the state in collaboration with Ural India Limited.

Ural already has a presence in West bengal in heavy vehicles manufacturing, with a heavy trucks manufacturing unit in Haldia. The unit caters mostly to the defence sector. 

''FAW is China's largest automobile manufacturing company and has shown interest in setting up an automobile unit in West Bengal. It will make all kinds of cars, including heavy vehicles,'' Sen said.

Sen, however, declined to say whether the government plans to offer if the Singur plot to the company, although he said it can be a possible location. Sites in Kalyani, Haldia and Kharagpur have also been discussed with the FAW, he said.