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Cars come cheapest in low-tax Goa

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Go to Goa, buy a car, save money.

Goa is perhaps the best place to buy four-wheelers, especially the Tata Indica, as the tourist state offers the lowest prices for all its models.

Tata Indica's petrol car is sold in Goa for only Rs 247,288, almost Rs 16,000 less than the Bombay price and Rs 7,000 less than the Pune price (Rs 254,600). Its air-conditioned diesel deluxe model is sold for Rs 21,000 less than the Bangalore price.

The prime reason for this is the low seven per cent sales tax. This obviously attracts buyers from neighbouring Maharashtra and Karnataka, which turns out to be a major revenue earner for the state.

"But surprisingly, hardly any outsider has booked a Tata Indica," says S Khedekar, sales manager of N D Naik Associates. However, going beyond their expectation of maximum 700, nearly 1000 bookings have already been made in the tiny tourist state, only by Goans.

The maximum rush in Goa has been for the airconditioned diesel model since its cost, Rs 282,220, has been much less than the standard diesel car sold in Delhi, Bombay or Bangalore, ranging between Rs 285,000 to Rs 290,000.

Obviously, the biggest price benefit lies in buying the airconditioned diesel deluxe where the price difference is between Rs 12,000 (Pune) and Rs 25,000 (Bombay), except in Calcutta where it is costlier by only Rs 6,000.

The following table lists, city-wise, the prices in Indian rupees of different models of Indica.

INDICA   Petrol     Diesel   Diesel A/C  Diesel DX-A/C 
Delhi    259,000    285,000   295,000     395,000
B'bay    263,300    290,400   300,800     399,800
B'lore   261,500    288,100   298,300     395,500
Cal'ta   253,800    279,000   288,700     380,700
Pune     254,600    280,800   290,900     386,900
Goa      247,288    272,522   282,220     374,403

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