In all probability, "REVA" the India's first electric car from the Maini stable will be plying on the roads before the second quarter of 2000, if all goes well as per plans.

Talking to The New Indian Express here on Friday, Maini group Chairman Sudarshan Maini said "We haven't shelved the project, but it is too early to talk about it as the module is undergoing continuous improvement. The exact details will be announced in the next three months. We are also talking to ICICI for financial assistance." "It is not a dream car but a 'reality' one.

It is an advanced one and has two computers to control it. There is no delay in launch," he said refuting earlier reports that the car has been continuously delayed. Meanwhile, the Mainis are setting up a Rs three crore unit near Bommasandra Industrial area to manufacture hydraulic Hand Pallet Truck PV-25.

It will be launched in the Indian market by September '99 and the annual production capacity would be around one lakh units.

It will have a load capacity of two tonnes and will find use in engineering industry. Though Maini Materials Movement Pvt. Ltd is manufacturing over 200 varieties of handling equipment, they were being exported to OEM suppliers under different names.

But this time, Maini Materials is planning to pool its resources together to produce the Hand Pallet under one roof and then export it overseas under the Maini brand name, So far, Mainis have exported over 10,000 to 15,000 units and the division earned a revenue of Rs.18 crore.

"The demand for Hand Pallet Truck is 4,000 pieces, while the world demand is 0.5 million. We will be exporting around 90 percent of it. We hope to increase our revenue by 25 to 30 percent this year," he added.

The Rs. 75 crore Maini group has also joined hands with a German firm Berger to manufacture hi-precision components and is planning to explore South African market for granite exports.