Tata Motors brings innovation to India

Tata Motors is showcasing its strong position in India and abroad with innovative product and service offerings to grow key markets

While it is a well-known and successful brand in South Africa, Tata Motors is a home-grown name in India, which the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is reiterating as it flexes its muscles – starting with new products and services.

In May, it launched the first compact truck for the small commercial vehicle market in India: Tata INTRA. The vehicle is built to meet the ever-evolving requirements of that market segment and features superior performance, increased payload capacity, better fuel efficiency and durability.

Tata Motors’ CEO and MD, Guenter Butschek, says: “As the leader in the commercial vehicle industry, we play a key role in shaping the market by introducing global products based on deep customer insights.

“We want to strengthen our leadership position across all the segments in which we operate. The Tata INTRA is testament to our unrelenting commitment to introduce products that embody engineering passion and bolster the customer value proposition. The vehicle will be a game changer for Tata Motors in the small commercial vehicle segment.”

As a key player in the commercial market, Tata Motors is focusing on the e-commerce and electric vehicle sectors in India. Girish Wagh, president of the company’s commercial vehicles business unit, notes: “Fuelled by rising incomes, increasing government support and a surge in internet users, the Indian e-commerce market is expected to grow to US$ 200 billion (about R2,8 trillion) by 2026.

“Companies are increasing their distribution centres and fleet sizes to cater to the growing demands of consumers. To support its customers, Tata Motors has developed customised solutions to give total peace of mind to e-commerce companies and transporters.”

For the electric vehicle market, Tata Motors has introduced its Tigor EV – a fully electric, zero-emission compact sedan aimed at boosting e-mobility. The launch comes at an ideal time as India looks to invest more in its electric future.

In the commercial vehicle segment, Tata Motors has supplied 161 electric buses across various states in the country. It is the only company to have this many electric buses on the road.

Tata Motors, however, shapes more than just the commercial vehicle market in India. It also aims to shape and improve the wellness and welfare of drivers through its Samarth programme. Wagh says: “Tata Motors intends to cement its long-term relationship with customers and drivers to safeguard their health and ensure overall well-being of their families in order to uplift their quality of life.”

The programme includes accidental death and disability cover, health insurance, hospital and family cover. Drivers can also attend financial literacy camps through the programme and access learning platforms for their children. In addition, Tata Motors, in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation, has introduced rest stops for drivers called Saarthi Araam Kendra.

Amenities include restrooms, restaurants, secured parking with CCTV cameras, self-cooking facilities, a launderette, an open bathing facility, a barber shop and a clean drinking water supply. Vehicle service workshops are also available on the premises.

Wagh notes: “At Tata Motors, ensuring road safety and comfort is a priority. Through the programme, drivers will easily have access to their basic needs, which will help them to de-stress after long journeys, and improve their overall efficiency.”

In line with the Tata Group spirit of giving back to the community, Tata Motors also strives to be a long-term partner in building local economies by creating job opportunities, improving the skill set of the workforce and bringing in new investments.

One such flagship programme is Skillpro, a unique skills development initiative which trains unemployed youth to become technically qualified professionals, giving participants a concrete career path and a respectable way of earning their livelihoods. In the past four years, about 100 students have graduated from the programme, 50 percent of them African. With product and service offerings that meet the demands of customers and the changing transport environment with an invested interest in driver safety, Tata Motors is using its influential position in the commercial vehicle sector to help push India into the future with efficient, innovative transport.