Indian CEO murdered by laid off workers, raises further questions about Tata’s production plans
09/23/2008, 4:32 PM
By Drew Johnson
Tata’s ultra-cheap Nano city car was slated to begin production in October, but violent protests have put that production start date in jeopardy. The protests erupted after Tata started to build a $350 million plant on the site of fertile farmland, and it looks as though the situation could get far worse before it gets any better.
Lalit Kishore Choudhary, head of Graziano Transmissioni, a car parts supplier in India, died on Monday after being bludgeoned to death by an angry mob outside of Delhi. Choudhary called a meeting to discuss a recent round of lay offs with employees, but was beaten to death after a mob of about 150 angry workers stormed the Grazian representatives, according to Times Online.
There has been a long-running dispute between workers and management at Graziano’s Indian plant, which is believed to be the cause of the malicious act.
Although no deaths have been directly linked to the violent protests plaguing Tata, the word of Choudhary’s death is a serious reminder of how quickly things can escalate.
Rumblings of protests started earlier this year when India’s Supreme Court requested a reply from Tata Motors and the West Bengal government as to why ‘fertile multi-crop agricultural land’ was being used for the Nano’s production plant.
Despite the request, construction of the plant continued and many farmers were displaced from their lands.
The increasing amount of violence — and Choudhary’s death — is concerning Tata, so much so that the Indian automaker is considering completely abandoning the site.
“What has concerned us is the violence, the disruptions, that has led us to be concerned about the safety of our employees, our equipment and investment, and of the viability of the process,” Chairman Ratan Tata told Automotive News. “If anybody is under the impression that because we have made this very large investment of 1,500 crore rupees ($350 million), that we would not move, then they are wrong, because we would move to protect our people.”
As of right now, Tata has no Plan B, which means other automakers could beat Tata to the $2,500 car punch if the protests don’t subside.
09/23, 5:00 PM
posted by:
Lariat Luxury Locomotive Liner No.3
Hmmm…American car executives should take notice in their ivory towers.
09/23, 5:08 PM
posted by:
A4
bummer
09/23, 5:18 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
if that guy hired the WWEs Great Khali – i don’t think he’d be dead right now
09/23, 5:18 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
* as a bodyguard of course
09/23, 7:26 PM
posted by:
ktulu
wow
09/23, 9:08 PM
posted by:
zeeck
that is pretty messed up, those farmers probably got way more than they would make in multiple years for their land, and they can buy up other land and still make profit.
too bad we don’t have that mentality here, and our CEO’s have made way worse decisions
09/23, 11:42 PM
posted by:
elviososa
It seems like that the investors of L.Man Bro. are much more gentlemen to their investing company.
09/23, 11:50 PM
posted by:
John Doe Jr
Beat me to it Lariat, just what I was thinking….
09/24, 1:12 AM
posted by:
Kanucko
Its good to know that India is a great emerging power that has mobs of people willing to kill CEO’s. Sounds like they should spend another 500 years learning what the value of life is. What a sad country.
09/24, 2:50 AM
posted by:
mikemacnn
Kanucko – does one such news make you think that India is a sad country and mobs of people are willing to kill CEOs? India in books and documentaries is something lot different than what it is in reality. Check your facts first before commenting on a whole country.
And as far as value of life is concerned, everybody knows what value of life is, even an animal does.
09/24, 5:59 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
Kanucko is a bit of a tw@ lets face it.
India has one of the biggest populations in the world, and one mob killing a CEO that fired them is a rare occurence.
I wonder how far behind America must be if the KKK can go around just slaughtering black people, albeit slightly less visible these days…
Oh, wait, let’s recall an episode of Top Gear where they went to America and were almost killed by a bunch of inbred hicks… Yup, a bunch of white guys attacked a bunch of other white guys… Why?
For saying its okay to be gay and that nascar sucks on their cars?
Did the Top Gear crew rid the dirty hicks of their jobs by doing so? Doubt it.
Filthy American trash.
09/24, 8:26 AM
posted by:
livelyjay
@JohnnyBlazE -> Great episode of Top Gear, but can you really guarantee that wasn’t staged? The crew probably paid them a few bucks to go after them. No defending the trash, but again you can’t generalize about something when you see it on a British television show (or any television show for that matter). I wish this happened in the United States. Then maybe we wouldn’t have all the corruption at the tops of the companies. If the top dog was accountable for bad decisions maybe they would make better ones. There’s a reason why there’s a $700 billion bail out in the works.
09/24, 11:24 AM
posted by:
tastyorange
“Filthy American trash”
Hey there’s lot’s of trash in the UK too. Ever watch a soccer game riot?
09/24, 12:14 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
Maybe Ford and GM workers should take a page from their Indian brethren…
09/24, 12:43 PM
posted by:
shaver
Yes, people that get paid $2 a day get real pissed sometimes. Wouldnt you.
09/24, 2:42 PM
posted by:
yarddog82abn
Well in the U.S. they wait until they are fired before they go on a killing rampage, I guess they figured if they all go nuts they wont get fired…
09/24, 9:38 PM
posted by:
Roger
his death isn’t justice…but a reminder that the “people” also hold power. and when the “people” are pushed hard, it is a gurantee that the “people” will push back just as hard…if not harder. lesson learned….plain and simple. Don’t F*** with the people if u want their land. negociate and give them a fair value or they will F*** u up. i’m done.