THE INDIAN TOUCH

FROM OPTIMISING FOR INDIAN ROADS, TO ADDING HINGLISH COMMANDS AND INCORPORATING LOCAL APPS, MANUFACTURERS ARE GOING ALL OUT TO WOO THE INDIAN DRIVER.

- RIAAN JACOB GEORGE

In May 2024, Jaguar Land Rover made history by announcing that India would be the first country outside the UK to manufacture the iconic Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. Undoubtedly a proud moment for India, Rajan Lamba, Managing Director of JLR India said: “Manufacturing the Range Rover locally will bring together the best of both worlds—British design and technology, in a Made in India vehicle.” This is particularly significant in the context of Indianisation of the auto sector, as this Tata-owned brand takes a huge step to appeal to its local customer base, and possibly increase it, reduced costs notwithstanding.

However Tata Motors has been consistent in this regard. A spokesperson for the manufacturer says, “Since inception, we at Tata Motors have remained steadfast in prioritising the evolving needs of our customers and providing suitable solutions through the product-led innovations. We have consistently anticipated future trends to deliver cutting-edge products to the Indian consumer. From pioneering models like the Tata Sierra in 1991 to the groundbreaking Tata Indica in 1998, India’s first truly indigenous car, and more recently becoming the pioneers of the EV market in India, which has created a revolution of its own.”

The local edit