He, however, declined to mention a specific date. "There are vested interests working and we do not want to give a date," he said.
But Tata, who has so far said little on the political turmoil over land acquisition at Singur, (the site of the small-car project) which has been one of the prime reasons for the delay, today lashed out at those supporting the farmers' cause, calling them politically motivated.
"Those propagating the farmers' cause should do something for them," he said. "Why are there so many farmer suicides in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh," he asked. The political motivation behind the hue and cry over the fight for farmers was true for Singur as well, he said, when asked specifically.
In the same breath, he pointed out that the Tata Motors project would lift the farmers from a life of poverty. Despite the controversies surrounding Singur, a one-hour drive from Kolkata, Tata reaffirmed his confidence in West Bengal and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.
However, even as Tata spoke in favour of the West Bengal government, there was trouble near the project site today, as a mob assaulted one of sub-contractor's drivers and passers-by. "West Bengal is one of the most industry-friendly states, with an enlightened government and a pragmatic chief minister," said Tata.
He defended the decision to choose Singur as the project site and said the company wanted it closer to Kolkata. "We wanted it to be a showcase projectÂ…had we put it up in Kharagpur (one of the sites shown by the government for the project), it would have been like any other public sector project. We do not want them (people) to feel ashamed or exploited," explained Tata. Shunned by the industry for long due to its historical past, Tata felt, West Bengal had the potential to become one of the most prosperous states in the country.
The Tata group's investments in setting up a global institute like the cancer hospital and the Tata Motors project would be the forums for other investments in the state, said Tata.