While it is the price of the Nano that will make headlines, it has had safety campaigners raising questions about the impact – quite literally – that this car will have for drivers and pedestrians.

India has 8 per cent of the world’s vehicle fatalities and less than 1 per cent of its cars, with more than 90,000 people killed on the country’s roads every year. Introducing a million Nanos into the mix may bring more – and unwelcome – headlines.

Although the Indian automotive industry has made great strides over the past 20 years in aligning itself with international emissions and safety standards – and since 2000 European technical rules have been the basis for Indian vehicle regulations – on safety in particular it still falls well short.

Tata, which has the only crash-test facility in the country, said that the Nano “exceeds current regulatory requirements”. And while it is not a deathtrap – it has crumple zones, seat belts and strong seat anchors – it is worth bearing in mind that total vehicle crash testing (rather than just frontal impact), airbags and antilock braking systems are not mandatory.

Without these, the Nano would not even be considered for approval in Britain. Adding them would double its price in India, which is why they have been omitted.

Tata itself admits it has looked to cut costs anywhere it can. This has had all sorts of effects, such as there only being one wing mirror, on the driver’s side. In Europe, the European New Car Assessment Programme is the gold standard for both the industry and consumer groups. Ten years ago the Rover 100 became the first car to receive only one star for adult occupancy safety (an unwanted accolade more recently received by two budget cars from China, the Chery and the Brilliance). Predictably, Rover suffered a huge slump in sales and the car was withdrawn.