According to informed sources, Tata Motors is working on a plan to launch the 'People's Car', as Tata fondly refers to, to coincide with his birthday with about 10,000 units being readied to be rolled-out from the company's facilities in Pune and Pantnagar.

Vendor sources also said, already parts for about 12,000 units of Nano have been dispatched to Tata's both Pune and Pantnagar facilities.

They added that initially only the base model of Nano would hit the roads this year.

When contacted for comments on the development, company officials reiterated the stated position of exploring possibilities of manufacturing Rs one-lakh car at its existing facilities at Pune and Pantnagar and launch it in the last quarter of this financial year.

It may be recalled that the 'Indica' was also launched on December 30, 1998, two days after Tata celebrated his 61st birthday.

At that time Tata had to overcome doubters, who suspected the company's ability to make cars, considering it was only into commercial vehicle manufacturing.

Having overcome that challenge, Tata's journey to bring about a paradigm shift in personal transportation by launching the Rs one-lakh car has also been fraught with hurdles.