Second man in the world to receive keys to his Nano loses it in minutes
Second man in the world to receive keys to his Nano loses it in minutes
The incident has all the makings of a tragicomedy. Eager-beaver Mumbaikar Ashish Balakrishnan signs on the dotted line and pays up for the world's cheapest car.
As the delivery date draws near, he hopes and prays his name will be thrown up in a lottery to decide the first recipients of the Nano.
Prayers answered, Balakrishnanu00a0 goes to receive his car (the deluxe model) from the hands of Tata group chairman, Ratan Tata.
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The top-end Tata Nano LX comes with an ex-showroom price of Rs 1,70,335 in Pantnagar where the Nanos are now manufactured.
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In Delhi, the price of the LX variant goes up to Rs 1,72,360 Rs 2000 more and as is normal, the price is the highest in Mumbai at Rs 1,85,375.
Ashish Balakrishnan has never felt so embarrassed. First, it was going up on stage as the whole world watched to receive the keys of his Nano from Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata. Second, it was losing the keys minutes later.
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Mystified, Balakrishnan (29), business-banking manager with HDFC Bank said, "I was very excited to receive the keys though I felt self conscious.
I held the keys close to me and I couldn't find them later." He feels he gave the keys to a journalist for a photo session that followed the key handing-over ceremony and didn't get it back.
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Balakrishnan was the second person in the world to be given delivery of the car, Ashok Raghunath Vichare, the first and office products major Kores got the third.
All the three cars were sunshine yellow top-end Nano LX handed over at a ceremony in the city yesterday.
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Balakrishnan, who bought the car making a full cash payment said he would contact Concorde Motors, the dealers for Tata Motors at Prabhadevi, and ask them to get him the keys.
"We looked everywhere, but couldn't find it today. The entire lock-set may have to be replaced," he rued.u00a0
The manager is still learning to drive and had his cousin to help him take the car home to waiting neighbours.
"I am so disappointed, but that's fate," said Balakrishnan who was still trying to recollect the sequence of events that led to him losing the key.
He was still at the showroom when this reporter left at 8.30 pm, which is when the showroom closes.
THE NANO LX
The top-end Tata Nano LX comes with an ex-showroom price of Rs 1,70,335 in Pantnagar where the Nanos are now manufactured.
u00a0
In Delhi, the price of the LX variant goes up to Rs 1,72,360 Rs 2000 more and as is normal, the price is the highest in Mumbai at Rs 1,85,375.
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