Tata Nano: A case study in marketing a good product badly

The goal for the Tata Nano was to sell the world's cheapest car (without compromising on safety, quality and environment) to the lower- and middle-income segments in India.

Tata Nano: A case study in marketing a good product badly

Anita BasalingappaMICA

Tata Nano was India's biggest business story. Launched in 2009, the small car from Tata Motors made headlines all over the world. Here was an emerging-market brand apparently out-innovating its global rivals, creating a product that met the needs of the planet's newest consumers. At INR100,000 (around $2,000) per car, it was the embodiment of 'frugal innovation', building products to suit low pricepoints, and looked set to become a classic business-school case study.

But less than three years later, the Tata Nano continues to underperform in...

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