pune there is a new aggression in the already aggressive bajaj auto ltd bal with younger blood set to take on the mantle of managing director from rahul bajaj who will remain chairman from april 1 the two and threewheeler is looking to change its very description it wants to be a player in the entire automotive segment all the way to four wheelsbal wants to go beyond the tag of two and threewheeler to become the manufacturer of a light fourwheel transportation to move people and goods that is all the cryptic description rajiv bajaj is prepared to givein the bargain it has taken up the challenge of ratan tata chairman tata motors to manufacture that four wheel vehicle at rs 1 lakhthe person most likely to crack that rs 1 lakh car would be a twoand threewheeler manufacturer rather than a fourwheeler because you have to make the car and make money on it as well said rajiv bajaj managing directordesignate bal making a vehicle at rs 1 lakh would not be difficult mr bajaj said but making money on it is the real challenge he should know bal is determined to make money on whatever it does having done so even in the five years from 19982003 when the automotive industry took a beatingmr bajaj pointed to the supplier base of the two and threewheeler segment this supplier is structured to supply cheaper than the car component supplier base it is at a concept stage we are nowhere as advanced as tata motors nor are we anywhere as close as they to bringing out a vehicle they have declared a three year time frame but we definitely have the intention to develop a light fourwheel transportation to move people and goods mr bajaj said declining to add to that cryptic descriptionhe ruled out collaboration with near neighbour tata motors on the project on the grounds who will bring what to the table adding we are very close in skills and ambitions we are too alike to attract in fact likes repelthe idea mr bajaj said was to take the existing two and threewheeler knowledge within the company and use it to extend the product line after all 1 litre motorcylce engines are not very different from the one used in the maruti 800 he pointed outthe product extension will mean capacity utilisation for bal whose mother plant at akurdi near here is hugely underutilised at presentit may be recalled that the senior bajaj had toyed with the idea first of taking up ashok leyland and later the government stake in maruti udyog ltd when divestment was the talk