Elon Musk says in the video from 2009 that he knew Ratan Tata and said he was a ‘gentleman and a scholar’. (Image: X/REUTERS)
Elon Musk in a conversation with TV presenter Charlie Rose discussed Ratan Tata and the famous Tata Nano.
As India and the world mourns the passing of Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group chairman who put a staid and sprawling Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, a video of Tesla CEO Elon Musk praising him has gone viral on social media.
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
Shared by X user Nico Garcia, the video shows a conversation between the billionaire Musk and TV presenter Charlie Rose. The video from 2009 resurfaced on social media in light of Tata’s passing.
The video shows Rose discussing with Musk Tata’s then ambitious venture, Tata Nano, a car launched by the company, which would cost Rs 1 lakh and can still be spotted on India’s roads.
“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?” Rose asked, as he and Musk were discussing the future of cars.
“I think it’s a good idea to have affordable cars, but I think the problem is with something like the Nano … I wouldn’t say it’s a problem because I think, by the way, it is probably a great idea and Ratan is a gentleman and scholar,” Elon Musk, who also owns SpaceX, said.
He added a note of caution when he said: “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”.
The interview has led to emotions of nostalgia as people of India mourn the passing of a visionary businessman.
