[anjan_c2007]

Today was a sad day for automobile lovers when on 24.05.2014 Hindustan Motors declared a lockout for its oldest Uttarpara plant. India's oldest automaker (1942-2014) was consigned to history due to several reasons debated since the past few years or even decades. Predictions since decades said the days of HM are numbered in the wake of new age cars. Whatever the debates, the ending was sad and many including me were shocked. The HM Mitsubishi venture plant near Chennai is more of Mitsubishi and very, very less of HM on the end products. Moreover sales of one or two figures per month don't make sense. Moreover, Mitsubishi is itself on a sticky turf worldwide now.

HM originally owned a massive 700 acres in Uttarpara West Bengal. The land area was simply too massive and the railhead passes very close to the HM plant's boundary. I have seen hundreds of brand new Ambassadors parked during HM's heydays, from the train while passing through earlier. And the railway station is named as "HINDMOTOR." Even Mercedes Benz's oldest plant at Sindelfingen has a railway station named Sindelfingen (I have been to this plant too) and there's nothing Mercedes in that name but for the fact that it is synonymous with the three pointed star factory. Hence HM has had its unique distinction and identity.

Back to the HM land, a total of 314 acres of land of HM in Uttarpara was sold in 2007 to the Hiranandani Group of Mumbai. Thereafter, in March 2021, 100 acres were sold to the Shriram Group of Chennai.

Details about HM land :-

https://m.timesofindia.com/business/...w/81676832.cms

The remaining 286 acres is most likely proposed to be used by HM for an EV plant. This is clearly an afterthought as they were dejected with the labour unions in Uttarpara when the plant was closed down. They also cited low productivity and low demand for the Ambassador that was selling some 300-500 units a month during the final years.

The EV venture link:-

https://www.rediff.com/business/repo...s/20220525.htm

The joint venture possibly a 51:49 percent holding pattern (HM 51%) has been signed with an European company and the report says they will launch two wheelers first followed by four wheelers. Further details have not yet been revealed.

Maybe the HM, CEO, Mr C. K . Birla after coming to know that Mr Elon Musk has emerged as the world's richest man by making EV's, could have taken a policy U turn by announcing the HM EV venture.