JLR weighs options of assembling more models in India

British iconic car maker, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is looking at options to assemble more models in India, including its luxury brand of Jaguar cars, aimed at developing a market share in the Indian car market.

"If there is a business case, we will consider assembling more models, even including the Jaguar cars, in India," the Warwickshire-based automaker's India head, Rohit Suri told reporters in New Delhi today.

JLR currently assembles its Freelander 2 at Tata Motors' Pimpri plant near Pune, and when asked whether the company has in mind which other models it plans to assemble in India, Suri said, "No final decision has been taken and the evaluation process is ongoing."

The announcement comes after JLR, owned by Tata Motors, had announced  in September that it would build an engine plant in the UK at a cost of £355 million (See: JLR says new plant for low-emission engines to cost £355 million).

Tata Motors, India's largest automobile company, had been weighing options since May to set up the plant either in south Wales or India, but may have opted for the enterprise zone i54 business park in Wolverhampton, central England, because of its proximity to its manufacturing plants in the Midlands, and the incentives and tax benefits given by the UK government for locating the plant at the enterprise zone. (See: Tata Motors to set up new JLR engine plant)

JLR, which is aiming for a 20-per cent market share in the luxury segment in India, had reported sales of 130,090 units for H1 FY 2011-12, representing a growth of 13.8 per cent on the back of better product and market mix. It has targeted to sell around 1,50,000 units in the country by 2020.

Last month, the carmaker said that it would launch the Range Rover Evoque in the Indian market this month, the same luxury car that is being used in the latest James Bond movie, currently known only as 'Bond 23'.

Because of increasing demand in the market for luxury cars as well as a robust Indian economy, JLR had decided in May to expand its operations in India by adding 100 more jobs at its Pimpri plant and have three more dealers to take the total count to 14 dealers in India.