The Cheapest Car in the World: Low-Cost Disruptive Innovation by Tata Motors

About the event:

Last July, Tata Motors began selling the $2,500 Nano, the cheapest car in the world. Some argue that the impact of this automobile innovation may equal that of Ford's 1908 Model T in its creation of a new, low-income market.

However there remains a puzzle: Tata Motors has been producing imitative car models, lacking the technical prowess to develop new-to-the-world innovation. How has the company made innovative breakthroughs in spite of weak technological competence? Dr. Lim, as an expert on catching-up innovation, will explain the process and discuss the implications of the case for further understanding emerging innovation activities in developing countries.

About the speaker:

Chaisung Lim first developed his interest in technology issues as a management student, focusing on appropriate technology for developing countries. This led him to pursue issues on appropriate technology, firm level innovation and industrial competitiveness for his master and PhD theses and his career at the Korea Development Institute. His international research papers have concentrated on the management of technology for catching up at firm and national levels. He has participated in committees and project teams providing consultation on industrial and technology policies for the Korean and Turkish governments. He is currently a professor at the Miller School of MOT and Professor at the MOT/MBA program at Konkuk University, Seoul. He received the BA in Management at Sogang University, the Master's in Management at Seoul National University and the PhD in Technology Management at SPRU at the University of Sussex.