The Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) owned by Tata Motors Ltd plans to assemble the Defender Sport Utility Weerth locally, India’s best-selling model, as the UK brand is looking to retain local operations for at least existing models even after the India-UK Free Trade Agreement.
“Most of our models are gathering at the Pune factory in India,” JLR Chief Financial Officer Richard Molyneux said on Tuesday.
“For defenders, there are plans to assemble cars locally,” he said. “We hope to take advantage of the needs of ultra-high net worth individuals in the coming years and grow in the Indian market.”
Analysts expect this could lead to lower prices ₹2 million. Currently, the Defender variant’s former showroom price ranges from ₹10,500 million to ₹27,900. This will help sporting cars (SUVs) participate in subcompetition ₹The 10 million range can be used for the German brand Audi Q7.
Molyneux’s announcement comes a week after the country announced a free trade agreement (FTA) with the UK, under which tariffs on fully built units will be reduced from 110% to 10% Under quota. The FTA marks the success of trade between the two countries, and JLR awaits one of the largest markets in the United States. JLR’s overall revenue to Tata motors is about 69%.
“Most models currently sold in India have local councils,” he said on the phone. “But for our future model, India has become an attractive market thanks to the free trade agreement.”
Currently, the defender is manufactured at JLR’s £1 billion factory in Nitra, Slovakia. It imports fully built units to the country, which attracts an effective tariff of 110%. However, inbound shipments of total knockdown (CKD) units attracted 16.5% of valid tariffs (before the FTA).
Sales surge in India
JLR’s plan to assemble the SUV is set up in 2011 a year after locally starting the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport Models launched on its Pune Plant. ₹4.4 million to ₹One of the models is 23,600 million. The price of the former showroom of the Range Rover Sport is from ₹16,900 ₹1.4 million.
Mint There is no independent determination of when the company plans to launch the defender’s local council. Queries sent by email to Tata Motors Ltd and Jaguar Land Rover have not been answered yet.
The British brand was acquired by Tata Motors for $2.8 billion in 2008, the highest retail sales ever recorded in the last fiscal year. Its volume grew 40% to 6,183 cars, with a growth rate of 110% to 1,793 in the January-March quarter.
Growth allowed the company to be third in the Indian auto market, surpassing Audi India.
The defender’s sales surged 90% over the year, while locally assembled Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models grew 72% and 42% respectively.
“If the interest of the local assembly defense lawyer is concerned, it will be the company’s huge enthusiasm to increase growth in the large SUV sector,” said Amit Kaushik, managing director of automotive analysis firm Urban Science.[Tata Motors’] As it continues to gain momentum in the market, the recent decision to assemble other models locally began to pay off. JLR’s bid in the large SUV market will be further strengthened. ”
Against the wind elsewhere
The company’s move to improve its Indian business is in contrast to headwinds in other markets.
“Tariffs and related geopolitical actions make the operating environment uncertain and challenging,” the company said in its later statement. “The global high-end luxury sector and the domestic market in India are expected to be relatively better.”
JLR avoids growth guidance for the current fiscal year as it evaluates the impact of U.S. tariffs on its sales.
The North American market contributed about a fourth to the company’s overall sales.
Jaguar Land Rover’s revenue fell 0.1 per cent to £28.9 billion in fiscal 25. The UK company’s EBITDA margin also fell 160 basis points to 14.3% in the year.
Its sales in the European market fell 11% to 82,000 cars, while China fell 10% to 47,000 cars. Overall, sales fell slightly to 400,000 units.
