http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac0298a0-0434-11de-845b-000077b07658.html

Tata Motors on Thursday set April as the launch date for the Nano, the world’s cheapest car, in a bold gamble that India’s largest automaker hopes will revive its plummeting sales.

The heavily-indebted group said the mini-car, whose price would start at Rs100,000 ($1,948), would go on sale in April, ending months of delays after political strife at its original plant near Calcutta, eastern India, forced it to shift the factory.

Tata executives argue the Nano’s rock-bottom price makes it the perfect product to launch during an economic crisis.

“It fits my budget and now fuel prices too are down,” said Mr Verma, who somehow crams his whole family onto the scooter.

“No more getting drenched in the monsoon,” said one of his daughters, referring to Mumbai’s punishing rainy season.

plummet 〈人気・物価などが〉急落する

strife 争い

rock-bottom (価値などの)最低，どん底

somehow どうにかして

cram 詰め込む,押し込む

drench びしょぬれにする

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe997b42-0380-11de-b405-000077b07658.html

It also could provide a template for carving up other troubled financial groups – such as Citigroup – should they be brought under government control, the people involved say.

But people involved in the talks say that company could disappear if the government decides to recoup taxpayers’ investments in the insurer by selling or listing the three divisions separately.

Insiders said the new rescue plan was precipitated by AIG’s deepening financial woes – which were caused by a sharp rise in unrealised losses in its investment portfolio – and its difficulties in selling large assets to repay the current loan.

One of AIG’s most prized assets, American International Assurance, its Asian business that was once valued at $20bn, attracted lukewarm interest. Potential bidders have been deterred by turbulent conditions in insurance and credit markets.

carve up 〈領土などを〉(勝手に)分割する.

recoup 〈損金などを〉〔…から〕取り戻す; 埋め合わす

precipitate 早める，促進する

woe 災難，災い

deter やめさせる，思いとどまらせる