Tata Motors looks at marketing Jaguar, Land Rover in India

Mohini Bhatnagar
08 December 2008

Despite high interest rates and slowing economic growth there is no stopping the sale of premium cars in India.

Tata Motors, owner of the recently acquired Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) brands, is looking at the possibility of marketing the cars in India and is believed to be looking to set up its dealership network here.

According to media reports the sales and marketing department of Tata Motors has helped facilitate a visit by the senior Jaguar and Land Rover  pesonnel to scan Indian dealerships and prepare a marketing plan.

The year 2008 is ending on a sour note for the Tatas. The company completed the purchase of JLR from Ford in June this year. The period coincided sadly with the setting in of a global economic recession.

For nearly all car companies across the world at present, the US, UK and European auto markets have melted and sales of autos are at an all-time low. Leaving aside the Detroit automakers, which are anyway almost bankrupt, even Japanese carmakers like Honda and Toyota, which sold decent numbers when oils costs soared, are shutting plants across countries to lower inventory carrying costs.

JLR's biggest markets incidentally were US and UK last year.