Car in a 'sachet'

Who would have thought that the 300 to 400 million Indians eternally trapped in the lower-middle class layer would be a brand new market for a luxury commodity---Cars! No dear, a car is no longer considered a luxury item. Like cell phones and cable TV, cars too are making it to the huge 'bottom of the pyramid' market. Market guru C.K.Prahlad's theoretical claim that there is a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, which consists of roughly 4 billion people (globally) who live on less than $2 per day is indeed being taken seriously by entrepreneurs. Though Tata Motor's Nano is not necessarily for the 'poorest' consumers in India, it definitely targets the middle and lower-middle class households that could previously only afford two-wheelers to meet their independent and flexible transportation requirements. How come no one ever questioned the 'lack of safety' element for a family of four--older kid standing in front of dad the operator and the baby nestled in the arms of mom sitting behind? ---but now all of a sudden a world full of critics are almost genuinely concerned about Nano not having appropriate safety features. No one ever questioned the degree of pollution created by licensed cabs and autos on Indian roads exhuming an unnatural amount of filth for the last 40 years and now a car that is affordable and yet meets the international auto emission standard is getting on the nerves of Indian environmentalists. They call it an environmental disaster. In India the private industrial sector was never trusted to espouse a social cause especially to empower the poor and when they really start thinking about the marginalized population and creating products especially for them, they are still not trusted. Nano is not really that different from the various expensive shampoos and soaps sold in sachet packs. It would take people a while to realize the simple similarity. It would also take them a while (though I don't understand why they don't still see it) to understand that the environment cannot be preserved just by 'not' giving the low income class access commodities that create pollution. That is not fair! While an affluent Indian household can own 2 or 3 cars without anyone objecting, why can't a two-wheeler owner dream of owning a single car? Why is it always the poor's responsibility to sacrifice their dreams and comforts to obtain a 'greener' world? So for once lets stop being a hypocrite and appreciate the fact that Tata could come up with all the right engineering and marketing strategy to launch an affordable, safe and fuel-efficient car for many of those households who would gain an immense degree of mobility and independence through it.