Tata Group is combining the expertise of Tata Housing and Tata Motors to launch a product that serves the purpose of a residential flat as well as that of a motor vehicle. The product – being branded as Tata Makano – is being projected as a beautiful blend of a luxury car and an affordable house.
“The need for Tata Makano was felt when we realized that Mumbai residents spend more time on roads than in their residences,” said Sourav Roy, a senior manager of Tata who has been appointed the project director of the latest initiative.
“People are stuck in traffic for hours. They could have spent these golden hours in their homes if the traffic situation was not so bad. Since the traffic situation is not going to improve anytime soon, we decided to bring the comfort of their homes while they are stuck in traffic,” Roy explained.
Tata Group claims that they have got all the necessary approvals from the BMC, PWD, Traffic Police, and civil societies for the project and their first residential colony housing 300 Tata Makanos in 5 apartment buildings will be launched by December this year.
“The residential apartments will have a parking space for each car sold and a driver room,” Roy explained the layout, “The families of course will live in the parked car. They will just need to plug in some pipes in the car for sewer, electricity, water, and gas connections, and it will transform into a fully functional 1 BHK flat.”
“While on the road, they can still enjoy a 1BHK flat comfort, but with limited amenities. They can prepare tea and even go to toilet while on their way to office in a busy traffic,” Roy explained the benefits of Tata Makano, which he expects to be sold out as soon as pre-booking starts.
Tata is confident that their latest product will solve a critical problem faced by Mumbai residents, apart from giving them an edge over other car makers and real estate developers.
“We were planning to launch 2BHK and 3BHK versions too, but the product failed in the testing stage,” Roy revealed when INN asked if they could launch more luxurious variants, “The larger cars couldn’t sustain potholes and broke into pieces. Even a 2BHK was reduced to 1 BHK after a few pothole jerks.”
