Tata launches Land Rover, Jaguar in India

According to reports, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), the luxury vehicle division of Tata Motors, expects emerging economies to account for as much as one-third of the unit’s sales, as demand in US and European markets plunges due to the recession.

According to JLR’s CEO David Smith, the Indian market has significant potential for long-term growth. However, the company is looking at relatively small numbers due to the brand’s exclusive nature. Smith noted that the challenge is to establish the brand in the market.

However, the marketing activity that has preceded the launch has been limited. Karthik Sharma, the general manager of Maxus Mumbai, which handles a chunk of Tata Motors auto brands including Land Rover, said that the pre-launch activity had been small-scale because the brands have had a soft launch. He expects marketing activity to pick up by the third quarter.

According to Sharma, Tata Motors has already launched two models in partnership with Fiat, including the Linea and Grande Punto, since the beginning of the year, and the current economic climate is not conducive to a high-profile launch.
Ogilvy and Bates141 handle creative for the brands.

The JLR acquisition, which was made last March at a cost of US$2.3 billion, helped to push Tata Motors to a loss of Rs 2,505 crore ($524 million) in the financial year 2008-2009.