Tatas to drive Nano online

Tata Motors is looking to use the e-commerce platform to market Nano, which is slated to hit the road by early-October. The company, it is learnt, will start online bookings for Nano from September. The company has no immediate plans to issue any new Nano dealership. Instead, it has asked its 190-odd existing dealers nationally to upgrade their stores to create an ambience for Nano. Sources said Tata Motors will use autojunction.com, an e-commerce portal from mjunction Services, to market the Rs 1-lakh small car. mjunction Services is a 50:50 JV between SAIL and Tata Steel, and specialises as a business process improvement company. “In all probability, TML will create a site of its own for online booking of cars as well,” sources added. When contacted, Tata Motors spokesperson Debasis Ray told ET: “It is premature to comment on modes that Tata Motors will adopt for marketing or bookings of Tata Nano. The company has not made any decision or announcement. As for distribution, Tata Motors has a nationwide network of dealers, which naturally will be deployed for Tata Nano as well.” The company can reduce the distribution cost by deputing one dealer to deliver the responsibility of online bookings in each city. The buyers can show their booking copy and drive away the car having the dealer as a mere point of contact. The company will directly send the list of bookings to the dealer so that the task becomes easier for him.