In a world where tech giants frequently trade jabs rather than kind words, it's refreshing to revisit a moment when billionaire Elon Musk praised India's Ratan Tata. The conversation, from a 2009 interview with Charlie Rose, has resurfaced on social media following Tata’s passing today, serving as a tribute to the visionary leader.
The interview, once lost in the annals of time, featured Charlie Rose asking about Ratan Tata’s bold initiative: bringing an affordable car to the Indian market. This came just months after Tata Motors introduced the Tata Nano for a wallet-friendly Rs 1 lakh.
"Take for a moment Ratan Tata, what he’s doing in India — developing a little sedan for $2300. Where do you put that in the whole equation of where the future of cars is?" asked Rose, setting the stage for Elon Musk to reflect on Tata's project aimed at revolutionising affordable transportation in India.
Musk, now the world's richest man, expressed both admiration for Ratan Tata and some reservations about the Nano’s prospects. "I think it's a good idea to have affordable cars," he said, "but I think the problem with something like the Nano … I wouldn't say problem because I think, by the way, it is probably a great idea and Ratan is a gentleman and scholar."
He fulfilled his promise to build the world's cheapest car.- Ratan Tata wanted to build a car, which the middle class of India could afford and so he delivered on his promise and launched Tata Nano for just $1,200 (₹1 lakh) in 2008.- @ElonMusk also shared his views on the… pic.twitter.com/QqTY5KuQLK
— Nico Garcia (@nicogarcia) August 26, 2024
However, the Tesla CEO also provided a word of caution. "But where it’s going to become challenging in the future is when the price of gasoline rises; the cost of acquiring the car is much less of an issue than the cost of running the car," he elaborated, foreshadowing the difficulties the Nano would eventually encounter.
Once labeled as "cheap" instead of affordable, the Tata Nano became a case study in marketing missteps and ultimately met its demise in 2018. Its legacy remains more of a cautionary tale than a triumph.
As this long-lost interview recirculates, it’s hard not to appreciate the genuine respect Musk had for Tata. It serves as a reminder of how a visionary can acknowledge another's contributions, even in an era of intense competition.