Ratan Tata: From Indica to Jaguar Land Rover, how Tata’s vision transformed auto industry of India

Indica to Jaguar Land Rover: Ratan Tata, a seasoned veteran in India’s automobile industry whose vision shaped the landscape of passenger cars in India, passed away at the age of 86. The visionary leader will always be recognised for his contributions to India through his vision. He was Chairman of Tata Sons from 1991 to 2002. Despite being India’s leading and oldest company, Ratan Tata played a significant role in shaping the automotive industry of India. His leadership helped the industry to witness some of the crucial advancements in the auto industry.

Let us look at the top contributions made by Ratan Tata to the automotive industry:

Establishment of Tata Motors in India:

Tata Motors was established by Ratan Tata during his tenure as a Chairman of Tata Sons in India. Later, the company became one of the biggest manufacturers of automobiles, not just in the country but abroad as well. It became one of the critical players in the passenger vehicle category in India.

India’s first Indigenous car launched:

Tata Indica was launched in 1998 which was India’s first indigenously developed car. It was the brainchild of Ratan Tata. He envisioned Indica for the Indian audience and wanted Indica to be designed and developed according to the needs of consumers, which would focus on reliability, fuel efficiency, and comfort.

Introducing India’s most affordable car:

Ratan Tata envisioned giving a practical, safe, reliable, and comfortable four-wheeler vehicle to Indian customers. Seeing the Indian families travelling with risk on two-wheelers, Ratan Tata introduced the Nano in 2008. Tata Nano was priced at Rs 1 lakh, and pitching it as cost-effective and gave India the most affordable compact car.

Acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover:

Tata Motors bought the esteemed British luxury automakers Jaguar and Land Rover under Ratan Tata's leadership. With this $2.3 billion acquisition from Ford, Tata Motors entered the premium and luxury car industry and grew beyond India's home market.