Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500 • Hacker News Board

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#21

Post by jhpriestley » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:19 PM UTC

keeptrying wrote: post #17

jhpriestley wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article mentions that these homes are targeted at the beneficiaries of the Indira Awaas Yojana - a government subsidy program. The article also mentions that other companies are going after the same market (with limited success).

Actually there were quite a few companies trying to make a sub $2000 car but only the tatas succeeded albeit at a slightly higher price. Yes there is a government subsidy for the lowest cost home but in India relying on the government keeping the same policy for more than 4 years is a little insane.

The program has been around for 25 years, according to wikipedia.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#22

Post by grandalf » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:20 PM UTC

It's Tata (singular). What a lewd misspelling.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#23

Post by grandalf » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:23 PM UTC

w1ntermute wrote: post #15

As with most things coming out of India, I would take this with a grain of salt. There've been promises of things like a $10 laptop and a $35 tablet in the past. When (if ever) they actually materialized, however, the price was either much higher or the quality/features much lower than promised. Relatedly, this is a big difference between India and China. In China, when the CPC decides to do something, it happens, no…

Consider that if you eliminate building codes, sealed windows, and the need for thermal insulation a "house" is trivial and could be made with anything from cement to adobe to some sort of lighter and stronger version of adobe made with modern materials.

I visited some houses in Costa Rica that were cinder block structures with corrugated roofs and wide bars for windows (to prevent thieves but not geckos) and these were very comfortable. Materials and construction costs couldn't have amounted to much.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#24

Post by losvedir » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:25 PM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #22

It's Tata (singular). What a lewd misspelling.

Ha, I noticed that, too. But it was the headline of the article, so I thought I had been mistaken. I'm relieved to see that's not the case. Shoddy editing.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#25

Post by dav-id » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:34 PM UTC

€500 house sounds like they are monetising the construction of future slums / shanty towns.

The Indian government need to get their act together and not leave it up to the private companies to clean up the mess in India. I have spent time in Delhi and what I have seen is shocking. Private companies run taxi services for their workers because it is so unsafe and the government run services are so unreliable that they are left with no other option.

The major commercial districts are built with private money and thus you see great big modern buildings with dusty and potholed roads without any paths connecting them so stepping outside the campus of these buildings you go from 1st world to 3rd world in a matter of a few steps.

There is more to making someones life livable than simply constructing four walls with a roof and some windows. You need to implement proper sanitation and other fundamental facilities such as appropriate policing and transportation. without these you are just fueling the growth of these slums and the internal migration from the countryside into the cities.

I can see India with an incredible future and rapid growth if simply the corruption and mismanagement is sorted out in the government sector.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#26

Post by kubrickslair » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:37 PM UTC

bdhe wrote: post #13

ajays wrote: post #3

The Tata group is probably the only major group in India which prides itself in hardcore engineering. Think of them like the "Google" of India. Kudos to them for tackling India's problems.

The Tatas have consistently impressed me. They're like Andrew Carnegie of India. The patriarch Jamsetji Tata ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamsetji_Tata ) help setup the Indian Institute of Science (it is so intimately connected that in local parlance it is often referred to as the Tata Institute) and TIFR both of which are premier research institutions in India. Another Tata, JRD Tata is the most well known though…

I agree. Also they are the only old money people who refrain from overt display of wealth. For an example, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antilia_(building)

It's unfortunate that I see similar behavior for all stratas of upper and upper-middle class. In my community it's almost a norm to spend at least half a million for the whole wedding affair. Weddings offer a dozen or so cuisine or sub cuisine types, and in some cases I have seen fireworks as elaborate as some 4th of July celebrations. It's even more unfortunate that we as a society do not have any type of popular counter-culture or even a counter point. It's all a blind race to the moral bottom. Sorry for going a bit off topic.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#27

Post by keeptrying » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 6:43 PM UTC

jhpriestley wrote: post #21

keeptrying wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually there were quite a few companies trying to make a sub $2000 car but only the tatas succeeded albeit at a slightly higher price. Yes there is a government subsidy for the lowest cost home but in India relying on the government keeping the same policy for more than 4 years is a little insane.

The program has been around for 25 years, according to wikipedia.

That might be true but having to deal with the government is a painful path. And anyway there is a real risk that they can't actually engineer it so cheap like the nano. But as in the nano's case it'll help a whole bunch of people with low incomes.

And since other companies have failed at this, I still think it's very entrepreneurial and ballsy to attack this problem.

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#28

Post by zavulon » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 7:11 PM UTC

grandalf wrote: post #22

It's Tata (singular). What a lewd misspelling.

I like Tatas better

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#29

Post by icebraining » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 7:24 PM UTC

vladoh wrote: post #19

The Tata car is a ridiculous piece of metal that should not be called a car. So I hope the Tata home will be better... Not very optimistic though...

>The Tata car is a ridiculous piece of metal that should not be called a car.

Why, exactly?

Re: Tatas to build world's cheapest home for Euro 500

#30

Post by digamber_kamat » Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 7:31 PM UTC

w1ntermute wrote: post #15

As with most things coming out of India, I would take this with a grain of salt. There've been promises of things like a $10 laptop and a $35 tablet in the past. When (if ever) they actually materialized, however, the price was either much higher or the quality/features much lower than promised. Relatedly, this is a big difference between India and China. In China, when the CPC decides to do something, it happens, no…

There is a difference between Indian companies and Indian government. Indian government is full of failures. Indian companies a little better. Tatas developed $2500 car. Tatas developed $15 water purifier that does not need electricity or expensive refills.