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Contents VOL 1 | ISSUE 1 | AUGUST 2010

06 COVER STORY
Coming up Aces
Tata Ace captures the small commercial
vehicle market in Bangladesh

04| FOREWORD
05| PERSPECTIVE
10| NEWS
In the news
News snippets on Tata Motors' activities around the world

12| TATA GROUP

From there to eternity
The group's journey down the years through photographs

15| CUSTOMER SPEAK

Value-added surprise
An Indica Vista customer from South Africa reveals
what she likes about the car

25 TRAVEL AND LIVING 16| EVENTS

Atop nine dragons Tata Motors showcases its wide range of vehicles at various shows
On what makes Vietnam an
Geneva Motor Show
Nano diaries
Made in India show - Dubai
ideal holiday destination
Discover versatility
Auto Expo
Defence Expo

EDITORIAL TEAM: CONTRIBUTORS: 22| IN FOCUS

Arundhuti Dasgupta Anurup Chatterjee Winning moves
Gayatri Kamath Prabir Saha
Tata Motors steps into Chile, and into the
Maya Gunavanthe
Medini Bhatwadekar DESIGN TEAM: Latin American market
Roxana Cooper Ashvini Baviskar
Shalini Menon Sonal Sonavane 27| CROSSWORD
Shubha Madhukar Spot the countries
A Tata Motors International quarterly Identify the global locations of Tata Motors
Content and design by The Information Company
Websites:
www.tatacarsworldwide.com, www.cvglobal.tatamotors.com
22
 Foreword
Tata Motors has evolved over the years to become a truly international
company with a world-class product range that we are all proud of.
We are the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer and the world's
second largest bus manufacturer. We already have a significant presence
in several international markets, especially in Africa, the Middle East,
Europe, Thailand and South Asia. We are now in the process of pushing
the envelope in new geographies like South America and ASEAN.

Our commercial vehicle range, spearheaded by the Prima world truck

platform and the popular Xenon, offers customers a plethora of choice
PM Telang
Managing Director (India Operations) in terms of benefits, features, versatility, affordability and design. Our
Tata Motors
passenger car range is equally eclectic and impactful, with a full spectrum
going from the small wonder Nano to the sedan Manza. More importantly,
we are developing an even larger platform of vehicles and exciting new
products, the likes of which do not exist in the marketplace today, both
in the commercial vehicle and passenger car space.

We are proud of our large family of customers, distributors, dealers,

employees and other stakeholders, with whom we have developed strong
ties based on the Tata values of trust and integrity. With the impact of our
international product range, we hope to further grow and consolidate this
network worldwide.

The world of Tata Motors is an active volcano of activities and events, in

India and overseas. Many of these activities are the initiatives of our
channel partners. Through Strides, the Tata Motors International quarterly,
we wish to capture some of the highlights and accomplishments of our
international journey along with our partners. It gives me great pleasure to
introduce the first edition of the magazine. All the best!

PM Telang

04 Strides
AUGUST 2010
Perspective
For Tata Motors, the international business is a focus area with a large
opportunity for growth. Over the past years, the company has grown
successfully and has built a strong base in several geographies. It has
developed a range of products that are competitive with, and contemporary
to, the best-in-class across various segments. With this extensive portfolio,
Tata Motors is now poised to become a significant player in several markets.

As we prepare ourselves to meet our ambitious targets and the challenges that
lie ahead, we would like to reach out to our channel partners across the globe
to share our vision and goals. Tata Motors believes that the success of its
RT Wasan
channel partners is a very important factor in the path to sustainable growth. Head, Commercial Vehicles Division
Tata Motors International Business

We have launched Strides, the Tata Motors International quarterly magazine,

with the aim of building a forum for free exchange of ideas and thoughts.
The magazine, which will appear in both print and e-versions, will be a medium
by which we will be able to formally share with our partners and associates the
news and happenings within the Tata family.

There are indeed several inspiring success stories from our channel partners
in several markets, where they have taken on daunting challenges and shown
spectacular results. We would like to share some of these stories with you.
Our cover story, for instance, talks about how Nitol Motors, our partner in
Bangladesh, was able to drive up sales dramatically in a short span of time.
The launch of Tata Xenon in Chile could help script similar stories in the rest
of the Latin American region. We analyse the strategy behind the company's
foray into the region in our section, In focus. And in the Customer speak
section, a satisfied Indica Vista owner in South Africa talks about her new car.

Tata Motors is also working on several interesting projects across product

segments that will have strong significance to our product lines in the future.
For instance, Tata Motors is introducing its Prima truck range in South Africa
and launching the Vista EV in Europe.

With all this, we hope that Strides will be interesting reading for our extended
Tata Motors family, including our channel partners, associates, customers and
friends. We look forward to your views on how we can make this magazine
more informative, inspirational and impactful in our journey together on the
road to a prosperous future.

Strides 05
AUGUST 2010
COVER STORY

Coming up Aces
Every month more than 500 Tata Ace trucks drive out of Nitol MotorsÊ
showrooms in Bangladesh, a feat that has transformed the market for
small commercial vehicles in the country. Strides finds out the key
factors for this success

A
s one of the oldest channel partners in the
international market, our working
relationship with Tata Motors has always
been pleasant. With ÂProject 500Ê it was taken to a
different level,‰ says Abdul Musabbir Ahmad,
Managing Director, Nitol Motors, Bangladesh. His
company has successfully achieved a target that
seemed to be impossible barely a year ago: selling
500 Tata Ace trucks every month on a sustained
basis in the country.
How Nitol Motors did it is a story not only about
a great new product but also about the
extraordinary efforts of a team that worked
together to make it happen.
BIRTH OF AN IDEA
The original plan was to sell about 200-250 trucks a
month, but RT Wasan, Head of the Commercial
Vehicle Division, Tata Motors International Business,
suggested a more ambitious target. This was not
only good for business but also critical for the
success of the Ace in this geography.
In Bangladesh, Tata Motors has traditionally been
dominant in the medium and heavy commercial
vehicle segments, and light commercial vehicle
truck and bus segments. The small commercial
vehicle (SCV) market was almost non-existent. With
Ace, Tata Motors wanted to quickly create an SCV
market and then dominate it. A big thrust was

06 Strides
AUGUST 2010
needed to create momentum with a new model in a
virtually non-existent sector.
Thus was born Project 500, the figure indicating the
ambitious new monthly target that had to be
notched up in record time. The Ace was making its
debut in a relatively untested market, but Nitol
Motors took up the challenge. Here was a chance
to position the company as a leader in the category,
while positively changing peopleÊs perceptions of
the SCV segment in Bangladesh.
Project 500, as it turned out, was an idea whose
time had come. Nitol Motors was on the verge of
a major expansion and had begun the year 2009
with a focus on projects that would create more
employment opportunities in Bangladesh. This one
fit the bill and the company had no hesitation in
creating an exclusive division for Ace. „With
Project 500, it was important to think and execute
big,‰ says Biswadev Sengupta, Regional Head,
South Asia and Far East. It was also critical for
Nitol Motors and Tata Motors to work together in
getting to know the customer and the market as
quickly as possible.
A JOINT VENTURE
Apart from establishing close coordination between
the companies, several other partnerships had to
be forged. The distributor, the company sales and

DISTRIBUTOR TALK:

The level of collaboration achieved on Project 500 was a first for us and it
was crucial for the success of Ace in Bangladesh. Our experience of dealing
with Tata Motors has been very satisfying.

What made the impossible possible

The sparkplug that ignited the Project 500 team was a comment from
Nitol Motors RT Wasan, Head of the Commercial Vehicle Division, Tata Motors
International Business, who pushed us to aim for the 500-vehicles-a-month
MD Abdul mark. We also realised that the Ace had the potential to change the lives of
Musabbir its users in Bangladesh. To achieve the 500-vehicles-a-month mark:
Ahmad shares
Generous incentives were provided to achieve targets.
his recipe for
success
Channels were set up for effective and regular communication.

We worked with the after-sales support team to:

Make ÂTata Customer CareÊ a trusted brand.

Provide customers with a unique low-operating-cost vehicle.

We focused on developing a strong marketing campaign and promotional

activities that would reach out to the customer. But most importantly, we
believed in the product and our relationship with Tata Motors, and my advice
for all who want to repeat the story of Ace in other geographies would be:

Stock up: Always keep an adequate supply of fast-moving spare parts.

Team up: Find a strong financing channel partner who understands the
product and the customer.

Keep the focus: Develop financing solutions tailored to the customersÊ

needs.

Keep the faith: Believe in the product and its potential to change
customersÊ lives.

Think big: Do not be afraid to experiment with solutions outside your

comfort zone.

Finally perhaps it was just good karma; at any other time and with any other
product, such rapid success on this scale might not have been possible.

Strides 07
AUGUST 2010
Behind the wheel: Chairman Abdul Matlub Ahmad
Mobile vans provide prompt service
after-sales support teams, and the financing
partners, all had to work together to understand the
market, adapt to customer preferences and provide
an effective and efficient service.
„Project 500,‰ recalls Mr Sengupta, „acted like a
bond that had all of us working towards the same
objective · we did not want to fail.‰ The broad
goal was to achieve a monthly retail of 500 units
by October 2009, and well-defined, practical,
monitor-able and repeatable action plans were
08 Strides
AUGUST 2010
developed for each functional area such as
manpower, network, spare parts, customer care,
sales activities, brand building, etc.
Manpower was the biggest challenge, and Nitol
Motors had to start from scratch by creating a new
department of 17 field teams with around 100
people, plus another 20 people in the backoffice.
New ideas for staffing, training, retaining and
compensating the staff had to be developed.
The Nitol Motors management started out by
convincing its sales and support teams why Ace
could create a paradigm shift in the transport
industry. Further motivation came in the form of a
generous incentive package and an easy-finance
deal for buyers.
WINNING CUSTOMERSÊ HEARTS
The Ace campaign kicked off in a big way in
April 2009 and was followed by publicity and
brand-building campaigns in various media such
as print, radio, hoardings, etc. The customer
contact programme initiated by Nitol Motors
supported product claims with vehicle trials and
clearly communicated the product's advantages
on operating economics over other vehicles in
the market.
This involved two key steps: convincing the
customer and living up to the promise. The first
objective was tackled through a smart and focused
marketing campaign. The second required setting up
a dedicated after-sales support team. To that end,
three new distributor branches and 10 additional
authorised centres were set up across the country.
The result: satisfied customers and a cache of
goodwill. Rajib Ghosh, Regional Manager, Customer
Care, SAARC and South East Asia, says: „We were
excited at the prospect of achieving something that Taking steps to avoid a stock-out situation
had never been done before. Project 500 took
determination and dedication from all of us.‰

NOW, PROJECT 1,000

The logical step forward is to embark on Project
1,000. „Now we just have to think and execute
bigger. We are also planning to introduce Magic,
the passenger version of Ace,‰ says Mr Sengupta.
For Nitol Motors, this is the best demonstration
of the faith that Tata Motors has in its distributor
in Bangladesh.  Onsite support teams ready to help customers
· Arundhuti Dasgupta

GOING THE EXTRA MILE

In Bangladesh, customers had to be convinced
A Complaint Information Management System

that Ace was a cut above the rest and that it
would live up to its promised potential. To this
end, Tata Motors and Nitol Motors worked
relentlessly to win over the customer and build
confidence in the Ace.
Engaging customers
The team helped create an effective customer
engagement programme by:

Organising micro campaigns at multiple sites
· at different city junctions and at the
doorstep of corporate customers.

Supporting driver training programmes.
and 24x7 helpline centre was set up to capture
and resolve issues at the earliest. All
complaints were dealt with within 24 hours.

Eighteen mobile vans with a dedicated onsite
support team at each location, 50 additional
mechanics and a special three-member team
were set up for network expansion.

The service network was mapped and
authorised service centres developed for each
zone.

Dedicated Ace workshop bays and a dedicated
team were created in Tongi, Bogra and Jessore.

Making sure that customer queries were
handled with minimum downtime.

Building up a bank of testimonials on customer
care.

Mechanics and engineers were trained at
Tata Motors facilities at Pune and Lucknow;
two in-house trainers were developed who in
turn trained 250 mechanics, 60 sales people
and 200 local garage employees.

An initial stocking list was generated based on

A robust network
The team made sure that:

A task force was set up in all the four zones in
Bangladesh to track technical issues, abuse,
feedback from customers, operating
economics and off-road vehicles.
the experience in India and Sri Lanka and
adapted as required. On a projected sales
volume for three months, care was taken to
avoid a stock-out situation.

Major float aggregates were placed in
important workshops to reduce off-road time.

Strides 09
AUGUST 2010
NEWS
In the news
Nanos at the Sanand factory, ready to take over the road
NANOÊS NEW HOME
Built in a record time of 14 months,
the Tata Motors plant for Nano at
Sanand, Gujarat, India, was
inaugurated in June 2010. The plant
was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi in the
presence of Tata Sons Chairman
Ratan Tata. Speaking on the
occasion, Mr Tata said, „We are
happy that the Tata Nano has found
its home at Sanand in Gujarat. We
would like to thank everyone who
has made this possible.‰
Spread over 1,000 acres, the
plant is built in line with the latest
world-class manufacturing practices
and is equipped with state-of-the-
art equipment. The plant is also
built to meet stringent
environmental standards. Tata
Motors has carried out extensive
tree plantation in and around the
plant. In addition, it has set up
sustainable water sourcing
systems through rain water
harvesting and ground water
recharging, and is harnessing solar
energy for illumination of the plant.
To celebrate the inauguration, a fleet
10 Strides
AUGUST 2010
of Tata Nanos were driven by
prospective customers in a country-
wide Nano Superdrive. The drive
covered 15,000km and touched 36
cities across the country.
ON THE FRONTLINES
Tata Motors has launched the Tata
Mine Protected Vehicle for the Indian
armed forces. The company already
has an extensive portfolio of troop
carriers and logistics vehicles, and has
been a supplier to IndiaÊs defence and
The Tata Mine Protected Vehicle was launched at the Defexpo India 2010
paramilitary forces since 1958. The
Tata Mine Protected Vehicle,
displayed at the Defexpo India 2010,
will help the company leverage the
entire defence mobility spectrum.
At the launch, PM Telang,
Managing Director, India
Operations, Tata Motors, said, „Our
aim is to participate in the entire
defence value chain. Going forward
we will participate in creating
vehicles and equipment specific to
the defence sector as also offer our
expertise in upgrades and life
extension programmes.‰
The company also displayed other
vehicles for reconnaissance,
counter-insurgency operations and
VVIP security. They included the Tata
8x8, Tata Light Specialist Vehicle,
Tata Light Armoured Troop Carrier,
Armoured Tata Safari and Armoured
Tata Sumo.
TRUCK PLANT IN MYANMAR
Tata Motors has entered into a
turnkey contract with Myanmar
Automobile and Diesel Industries
Limited, a Government of Myanmar
enterprise, to set up a heavy truck
plant at Magwe.
Built under the Government of IndiaÊs
line of credit, the plant will have a
highly flexible chassis and frame
assembly line along with cab
manufacturing, painting and trimming
facilities. The unit is expected to
become operational by the last
quarter of 2010-11 with a capacity of
1,000 vehicles per year, which can be
expanded to 5,000 units.
CRITICAL APPRECIATION
New-generation cars launched by
Tata Motors such as Tata Nano,
Tata Indigo Manza and Tata Indica
Vista have been winning over auto
critics everywhere. The cars have
received several awards instituted
by auto publications and television
channels since their launches, and
Tata Motors, as a company,
received two awards. It was
declared the 2009 Car Maker of the
Year and the the Best Value for
Money Brand.
The several awards that Tata Nano
has won includes Compact Car of
the Year, Entry-level Mini Car of the
Year, Indian Automotive Design of
the Year, the Most Value for Money
Car of the Year, Small Car of the
Year, Micro Car of the Year, Car of
Phonnie Cilliers (second left), COO, Accordian Investments, hands over the keys of
the Indica Vista and Tata Xenon to Jacob Zuma (extreme right), founder, Jacob Zuma
Education Trust
the Year (four) and ViewersÊ Choice
Car of the Year (two) awards and a
jury award.
The Indigo Manza received the Best
Entry-level Sedan of the Year and
the Best Value for Money Car of the
Year awards.
The Indica Vista was rated the
Best Value for Money Car of
the Year and the Motoring Car of
the Year.
PROMOTING SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
In keeping with the philosophy of
the Tata group, Tata Motors has
been involved in social responsibility
initiatives all over the world.
In South Africa, Tata Motors, with
its distributor Accordian
Investments, is involved with the
Zuma Educational Trust. Founded
by the President of South Africa,
Jacob Zuma, the trust works to
increase access to educational
opportunities for disadvantaged
children, to offer support to
principals and teachers and to
mobilise individuals and companies
to rally behind the objectives of the
trust. It also aims to break the cycle
of poverty in the deprived areas of
the country. Tata Motors has
presented a Tata Indica Vista and
Tata Xenon double cab to the Zuma
All set for the CTA drive
Navigating rough terrain during the
Madrid Rumbo Al Sur tour
Educational Trust to help and support
them in their work. In Italy, Tata
Motors along with its distributor
Melian Italia is working closely with
an association called Centro
Turistico ACLI (CTA), a branch of the
Christian Association of Italian
Workers. CTA works to improve the
quality of life of impoverished African
communities. It recently organised a
drive through Italy to collect funds
for schools run by CTA in Inhassoro,
Mozambique. Tata Motors and
Melian Italia provided two Tata
Safaris for the drive, which were
handed over to CTA after the drive.
In Spain, Tata Motors and its
distributor Nissho Motors Espana
provided logistical support in the form
of Tata vehicles · three Safaris and
two Xenons · for Madrid Rumbo
Al Sur, which means „destination
south„ or „going south‰ in Spanish.
Madrid Rumbo Al Sur was an
initiative by Esperanza Aguirre,
President of the Community of
Madrid, to promote the spirit of
cooperation and adventure among
youth. Participants from various
schools and colleges travelled
7,000km through Morocco, in 23
days, to learn about the progress in
the areas of infrastructure
development, preservation of cultural
heritage, health and education in
the country.

Strides 11
AUGUST 2010
 From there to
eternity
The seeds of what would mature and become
todayÊs Tata group were laid long years before
India became independent. We bring you a
few vignettes of the Âfoundation yearsÊ, when
the Tata dream of an industrialised India
began to take shape

More than a hundred years ago, Jamsetji Tata, the Founder of

Tata Sons, conceived of a steel plant, a power plant and a luxury
hotel for the country, setting a solid foundation for future growth.
On his demise in May 1904, The Times of India wrote: „He sought
no honour and he claimed no privilege. But the advancement of India
and her myriad peoples was with him an abiding passion.‰ In this
picture, Jamsetji (extreme left) is seen with his cousin RD Tata, and
his sons Sir Ratan Tata (standing) and Sir Dorabji Tata (seated
extreme right)

JRD Tata guided the Tata group for more than half
a century from 1938 to 1991. He pioneered the
groupÊs involvement in the airline business and
shaped the groupÊs initiatives in steel, chemicals,
power, commercial vehicles and software JamsetjiÊs first foray into manufacturing was a
textile mill, The Empress Mills, inaugurated in
Nagpur on January 1, 1877, the day Queen Victoria
was formally proclaimed Empress of India
12 Strides
AUGUST 2010
 AsiaÊs first integrated steel plant, Tata Iron
and Steel Company(TISCO), now Tata Steel,
was set up in 1907 in Sakchi (which was
renamed Jamshedpur in 1911). A 100 years
later, it has a presence in four continents, a
capacity of 25 million tonnes and is the
worldÊs sixth-largest steel producer

The Tata Electric Companies (now Tata Power)

was set up in 1910 and produced
hydro-electricity at Walhwan near Lonavala in
Maharashtra. Today it is the countryÊs largest
private power utility with an installed power
generation capacity of about 2,300 MW and has
a mix of thermal and hydro power plants

In 1945, The Tata Engineering and

Locomotive Company (Telco), now known
as Tata Motors, was set up to manufacture
locomotives. In 1954 it graduated to
manufacturing commercial vehicles and in
1991 rolled out IndiaÊs first indigenous
passenger car

The Taj Mahal Palace, the luxurious hotel Jamsetji built,

in Mumbai, opened on December 16, 1903. Today, it
occupies pride of place in the Taj GroupÊs family of 57
hotels in 40 locations across India and 18 abroad

Strides 13
AUGUST 2010
 Tata Chemicals, IndiaÊs heavy chemicals industry, had humble beginnings
at Mithapur in Gujarat in 1939. In those early days, salt was tilled using
manual labour. No longer. Today, Mithapur is one the most integrated
facilities of its kind and Tata Chemicals is IndiaÊs leading manufacturer of
inorganic chemicals. It also manufactures fertilisers and food additives and
has a global presence

Tata Oil Mills Company

(Tomco), IndiaÊs first
integrated coconut oil
crushing factory, was set up
in 1917 in Cochin, Kerala.
TomcoÊs 501 laundry soap
and Hamam bath soap used
to be household names in
India. This is an ad of
Hamam bath soap which
appeared in the November
28, 1944 issue of Bombay
Chronicle

In 1932, JRD Tata started IndiaÊs first air

service with two Puss Moths, two pilots,
three mechanics, no navigational or
landing guides and a maidan near Juhu
beach for an aerodrome. The inaugural
flight carried mail from Karachi to
The Tata association with the UK started when Tata Limited Bombay. Tata Air Lines was nationalised
was set up in London in 1907, to represent the Tata group in in 1953 to become Air India
Europe. Cable House was its headquarters from 1925 to 37

This photofeature was first published in the Tata Review, October 2007.

14 Strides
AUGUST 2010
 CUSTOMER SPEAK
Value-added surprise
The Indica Vista was launched in South Africa in October 2009. Brenda
Mclean reveals what she enjoys the most about her new car

The Indica Vista was a pleasant surprise from my husband. It is a great

improvement to the Indica LSI that I already own. I had no issues with my Indica
LSI; it is very reliable and is light on fuel. However, the Indica Vista is a notch above
the Indica LSI · it is more stylish, with strong, sharp lines and elegant interiors.
It looks better and drives fantastic. You don't hear the engine and it is about 2km
lighter on fuel than the Indica LSI. The best feature is the lights. I really love the
striking petal-shaped headlamps. It is a great car for work and social occasions.

I am also happy with the after-sales service. The sales executive, Jason from the
Tata dealership at Pretoria Central, gave us excellent service, from the presentation
of the car to the way that he handled the whole deal. He even followed up the next
day to inform us that the license disc and plates were ready.
· Brenda Mclean, South Africa

INDICA VISTA: A FACT FILE

Emission: Euro III / Euro IV
Engine Safire Petrol Quadrajet Diesel Brakes: Disc brakes (front), drum brakes (rear)
Tyres: 175/65 R14 82T
Displacement / 1,368cc 1,248cc
capacity Dimensions: Overall length (mm): 3,795
Overall width (mm): 1,695 - over body
Max engine 55kW / 6,000rpm, 55kW / 4,000rpm,
power (kW/R/Min) 65kW / 6,000rpm 66kW / 4,000rpm Overall height (mm): 1,550 unladen
Wheelbase (mm): 2,470
Max torque 114Nm / 3,250rpm, 190Nm / 1,750rpm, Comfort and Steering-mounted audio controls
(Nm/R/Min) 116Nm / 4,750rpm 200Nm / 1,750rpm convenience:
Seat height adjustment
Tilt steering
Power windows: Front and rear
Music system with USB and bluetooth

Strides 15
AUGUST 2010
 Geneva International
Motor Show
EVENTS

The 80th Geneva International Motor

Show marked the world premiere of the
Tata Nano EV and the European
premiere of Tata Aria and Tata Indigo
Manza. A glittering gathering of nearly
100 companies, the event was held in
March 2010 and helped put the
spotlight on some of the new and
evolving trends in the global
automobile market

16 Strides
AUGUST 2010
 The Nano
diaries
All over the world, the big-small car,
Tata Nano was met with huge
applause and appreciation. From the
glamorous auto show at Geneva to
the ones in Madrid in Spain, Poznan
in Poland and Dhaka in Bangladesh,
the Nano made heads turn wherever
it went. It also triggered off a huge
interest at the Brand Managers
Tata Nano EV at the Madrid Motor Show
Meet in Italy where the product was
discussed in great detail

Tata Nano at the India Trade Fair in

Bangladesh

et in Italy
Brand Managers Me
Tata Nano EV at the

Tata Nano EV at the Poznan Motor Show

Strides 17
AUGUST 2010
 Made in
India show
Tata Motors participated in the
Made in India show in Dubai in
June 2010. The show was
organised by the Federation of
India Export Organisations and
attracted 203 companies from
across the world. Tata Motors
showcased the Tata Xenon and
Marco Polo range of buses
to potential customers in the
Middle East
Marco Polo bus

Xenon Petr
per ol
Xenon Tip

18 Strides
AUGUST 2010
 Discover versatility
The various custom-built applications of
Tata Motors in the construction, public
utilities, emergency and defence, and
distribution categories showcase the
capabilities of the companyÊs commercial
vehicle platforms

Garbage compactor

Ambulance

er van
Contain

Truck-mounted crane
Cesspit tanker

Strides 19
AUGUST 2010
 Auto Expo
Tata Motors made a huge
impression at the Auto Expo 2010
held in New Delhi. It launched the
Tata Aria, Tata Venture, Tata Magic
Iris and the all new Jaguar XI at the
show which attracted participants
and audiences from all over the world

Jaguar XI

Tata LPT 1617 CNG Truck

20 Strides
AUGUST 2010
 Defence Expo
Tata Motors launched the Tata Mine
Protected Vehicle and displayed
an array of other defence vehicles
at the Defexpo India 2010 in
New Delhi. The expo was
organised by the Defence
Exhibition Organisation, Ministry
of Defence, and was meant as a
showcase for land and naval
defence systems
Armoured Tata Sumo

Tata 8x8 Hig

h Mobility V
ehicle
ier
op Carr
ht Armoured Tro
713 Lig
Tata 4x4

Tata 4x4 Mine Protected Vehicle

Strides 21
AUGUST 2010
IN FOCUS
Winning moves
A breakthrough in Chile has helped hone the strategy for other
countries in the Latin American region. Strides steps in behind the
scenes to understand the companyÊs recipe for the region
L
atin AmericaÊs burgeoning automobile market
is a haven for vehicle makers from around
the world. For Tata Motors too, the countries
in the region · Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile
among others · have long presented an attractive
and tempting opportunity.
However, the challenge of navigating an unknown
terrain meant that the company had to move with
abundant caution. So even after identifying the
region as a potential hotspot way back in 2005, the
unanimous decision was to drive in slow, build the
brand and test the waters with one country before
marching on with the complete range of vehicles.
With a Latin American market size of around
650,000 units for commercial vehicles, this was a
frontier that definitely had to be conquered.
ADAPT AND ADVANCE
The Latin American market posed two major
challenges: high import duties ranging between
Xenon is a vehicle for all terrains
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AUGUST 2010
35-50 per cent and high sea-freight costs. This made
completely-built unit (CBU) exports from India
unviable. Secondly, competing vehicle makers were
exempt from the duties as their countries had free-
trade agreements with Latin American countries.
To be competitively priced in the market, Tata
Motors felt that the best way forward would be to
set up semi / complete knocked down assembly
plants for passenger cars, pick-up vehicles and
small commercial vehicles in the first phase, and
light commercial vehicles and medium and heavy
commercial vehicles and buses in the second
phase. And eventually, go for a manufacturing hub.
Chile was chosen for the test drive because it is
representative of the region and has the lowest
import duties. Tata Motors decided to enter into a
strategic alliance with a distributor in Chile so that it
could adapt to the local ways and then advance to
the rest of the region.
Revved up for the treasure hunt through the sand dunes at the launch
The strategy seems to have paid off rich dividends.
There has been a steady rise in sales and the
company has gathered unique and valuable insights
into the consumer mindset which, in the years to
come, will help it expand and grow at a faster clip.
THE CHILE ADVANTAGE
Most European, American, Japanese, Korean and
Chinese brands are present in Chile, thereby
making it an ideal testing ground. Also its CBU
import duties are the lowest in the region
at 6 per cent.
When Tata Motors decided to launch the Xenon
pick-up truck, as a first step, its team scouted the
market for customer feedback on competitorsÊ
vehicles. In partnership with its distributor
SK Berge, a leading automobile distributor in the
Latin American market, the team also set up static
and dynamic customer clinics where a small group
of customers were probed on their preferences
Not afraid to get wet
Tracing complicated patterns in sand
and briefed about the company and its products.
The clinics threw up a startling revelation: Although
most customers were up to speed with the latest in
the world of wheels and preferred vehicles of Asian
origin, India was nowhere on their radar. It was
clubbed with China as a producer of cheap goods.
The challenge was to establish India as a country of
origin for quality products and Tata Motors as a
trusted and renowned maker of vehicles. This
would require a shift in perceptions in such a way
that the customer connected India with quality and
quality with Tata Motors.
THE GIANT FROM INDIA
Tata Motors launched road shows and newspaper
and internet campaigns to promote Indian heritage
and culture and generate awareness about its
manufacturing capabilities. Having done that, it spoke
about the impending arrival of a giant from India and
then introduced Tata Motors as Âthe giant from IndiaÊ.
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Proving its mettle on the rough incline of a road in Chile
MARKET OVERVIEW
ChileÊs economic and demographic profile makes it the perfect
entry point for the Latin American automobile market.
Light vehicles market
 Competitive space with 47 brands, 377 models and
1,122 versions.
 Top five brands account for 58 per cent of total sales.
 Passenger cars make up 55 per cent of total sales, SUVs
18 per cent, the pick-up category 20 per cent and panel
vans 7 per cent.
 Vehicles of Asian origin are in greater demand · 55 per
cent of the total sales comprise vehicles from Japan
(24 per cent) and South Korea (31 per cent).
Truck market
 Twenty brands on the road; the top three brands account
for 39 per cent of total sales.
 Light trucks make for 18 per cent of total sales, medium
trucks 27 per cent and heavy trucks 55 per cent.
CROSSWORD ANSWERS
Across: 5. South Africa, 8. Poland, 10. Spain, 11. Dubai, 13. Abu Dhabi, 15. Angola, 16. Mauritius, 18. Chile, 20. Sri Lanka, 21. Tanzania, 23. Senegal,
24. Thailand, 26. Turkey, 31. Ukraine, 32. Italy, 33. Uganda, 34. India, 36. Qatar
Down: 1. Oman, 2. Mozambique, 3. Bangladesh, 4. Saudi Arabia, 6. Russia, 7. Bhutan, 9. Djibouti, 12. Ethiopia, 14. Bahrain, 16. Malaysia, 17. Kenya,
19. Zambia, 22. Algeria, 25. Nigeria, 27. Egypt, 28. Congo, 29. Ghana, 30. Kuwait, 35. Nepal
On the test drive at the the launch
The next step was launching Xenon as a product
from the Indian giant, and as a vehicle that provides
value for money. The launch was a grand affair. A
test drive combined with a treasure hunt was
conducted through the sand dunes of the country.
This helped establish the tenacity and strength of
the vehicle.
PICKING UP SPEED
Tata Motors hit the road with a no-frills version of the
Xenon to cater to the price-sensitive customer. Also,
it decided to focus on areas outside the key Santiago
region where customers are not as brand-conscious.
Within a few months, the Xenon has caught the
customers' fancy and sales have risen from 10 units
to nearly 50 units a month. The company expects to
close the year with sales close to 600 vehicles.
The next step will be to bring in the fully-loaded
version of the vehicle and make inroads into Santiago
which accounts for nearly 65 per cent of the sales in
this category. The new Tata Xenon will be more
stylised and have additional features.
INTO THE FUTURE
In the coming years, the company hopes to target
countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. It
will enter into strategic alliances with local partners
in these countries and launch products best suited
to the area. This will be followed by an assembly
unit and then a manufacturing base in the region.
As it did in Chile, the company will launch an
aggressive campaign introducing India to the
customers (in other Latin American countries) before
launching the Tata Motors brand. The Chile
experience is proving to be a powerful flashlight for
the region.

· Arundhuti Dasgupta with inputs from Prabir Saha,
Country Manager, Chile

Atop nine dragons
An exhilarating journey into Vietnam, a country that offers history,
culture and abundant natural beauty in full measure
W
elcome to a world where the colours are
bold and vivid, the landscape dramatic,
the history compelling and the people
friendly. Welcome to a world where tastes and
smells are an amalgam of cultures and cuisines,
guaranteed to tempt even the most practised
palate. Welcome to Vietnam, the Asian dragon that
has arisen from its slumber.
Home to a variety of cultures and traditions,
Vietnam offers the tourist a profusion of places to
go to. You can while away the hours in its temples
and marketplaces. Or you can walk through its
narrow lanes and crowded alleyways crammed with
stalls selling exotic street food. You can spend days
driving along the paddy fields and waterfalls that dot
the countryside or just sit by staring at its cloud-
canopied mountains.
But everywhere you go, you will be charmed by its
people. Their friendly ways and diehard optimism
belie the conflict-ridden history of the nation which
has seen a bloody war, suffered the excesses of a
dictatorial regime and survived a long stint under
colonial and communist rulers.
Halong Bay reveals the country's ancient geological past
TRAVEL AND LIVING
While the people are fiercely protective of their
sovereignty, they are welcoming to all tourists and
are quick to tell you that the doors are always open
for guests but firmly bolted for all who come as
conquerors. They do not hesitate to speak about
their violent past, or even joke about it when they
remind you that Vietnam is not a war, but a country!
Today the people are trying very
hard to stay in step with a rapidly
growing tourism industry and a
market-driven economy. So
whether you are in the
countryside surrounded by paddy
fields or in Ho Chi Minh City,
there is no escaping the
persistent salesman pushing
everything from local handicraft to
homegrown medicines.
CHAOS AND CALM
The cities are a chaotic jumble of
streets. They run into each other
in a maze of twists and turns and
are in turn, overrun by honking
The lush green Vietnamese countryside
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AUGUST 2010
 The rice fields of Mekong Delta
motorbikes and
merchants loudly
peddling their wares.
The smells and sounds
may come as an assault
to oneÊs senses, but
every city will draw you
in with its special
memorial, museum,
cuisine or some other
unique offering.
At Saigon, the countryÊs
many wars are
documented at the war
Bikes, the most visible mode of transportation museum and for those
who want to know
more, the city offers
educational tours on the subject. Hoi An might
weigh you down · but in a good way · youÊre
bound to add kilos of made-to-order clothing to your
luggage. With an estimated 300 to 500 tailors, this
city is a haven for the fashion-conscious traveller.
The old imperial capital Hue takes travellers back in
time with its palaces, pagodas, tombs and temples.
Hue also hosts the biennial arts festival
(www.huefestival.com), which allows the tourist to
experience the intellectual, cultural and spiritual
heartbeat of Vietnam.
In Hanoi, the countryÊs captivating capital, rise early
to watch the city exercise by Hoan Kiem Lake and
then pay your respects in person to beloved leader
Uncle Ho at the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Also a
visit to ÂPickled Fish StreetÊ in the old quarter is a
must; it is close to the quaintly named ÂWooden
Bowls StreetÊ. Let yourself be enticed by the tastes
and smells of all that is on offer and then cool off
with draught beer at bia hoi junction for a truly
unique and rewarding experience.
DRAGONÊS LAIR
In contrast, the countryside is calm and haunting.
The beauty of its green fields, gushing rivers and
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AUGUST 2010
Vietnamese markets are a photographer's delight
serene mountains that seem to rise up to touch the
heavens drags the traveller into a zone of
paradisiacal timelessness.
Although there is an ongoing rivalry between the
north and the south, you will be enchanted no
matter which part of the country you visit. However,
getting around Vietnam is not easy. Bus rides are
long and the trains are tediously slow.
Along the east coast you can visit the Mui Ne beach
or Can-thao, the biggest river island in Mekong
Delta. Another island, Phu Quoc, offers stunning
white beaches for all those who want to do little
else but soak in the sun. Halong Bay with its 2,000
limestone karsts is a revelation of ancient geological
structures that Vietnam inherited, and the Sapa with
its pretty trekking trails opens up a mysterious
natural world to the adventurous traveller.
The allure of the lush green Mekong Delta is
impossible to resist and the majestic river
dominates the landscape and the lives of the people
in this region. The Mekong, whose Vietnamese
name Cuu Long means nine dragons for the nine
mouths of the river that open into the sea, has
multiple tributaries, and their depositions make the
Mekong Delta.
The delta is so vast that the local people often say
co bay thang canh, meaning the land is so large that
the cranes can stretch their wings as they fly. When
the Nguyen lords took control of this region, a
series of waterways were built for transportation,
which are still in use. Many have floating markets.
The Phung Hiep, Cai Rang and Phong Dien markets
are a photographerÊs delight.
EVERYTHING AND MORE⁄
Vietnam has it all. It has adventure, it has history
and it has natural beauty. The best way to make the
most of a visit to this country is to go without any
expectations and let the experience engulf you. I
have found more than I ever expected from this
Asian country.

· Anurup Chatterjee, Head, Business Development,
Commercial Vehicle Division, International Business
 Spot the countries

CROSSWORD
Solve the crossword to identify the 37 locations of Tata Motors across the globe

1 2 3 4

5 6

7 8 9

10

11 12 13

14

15

16 17

18

19

20

21 22

23

24 25

26 27

28 29 30

31 32

33

34 35

36

ACROSS DOWN

5. The south of a continent. 1. Makes you say 'Oh man'.

8. The land on a pole?
10. Fighting and taking the bull by the horns is an art form here.
11. Live on its artificial tree-shaped islands.
13. Father of the gazelle in Arabic.
15. Once ruled by kings called ngola.
16. Named in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau.
18. Spicy --------- peppers from here?
20. Old name gave rise to the word serendipity.
21. Princess Zania got herself a nice tan.
23. Send a gull to this western-most tip of continental Africa.
24. People here are t(h)ai-ed to the land.
26. Bird stuffed and eaten.
31. A U-shaped crane?
32. Portrait of the woman with a haunting smile painted here.
33. You can take a gander?
34. See the 'teardrop on the cheek of time' here.
36. Americans pronounce it cutter.
For answers, turn to page 24
2. Portuguese named it after the island of Mussa Ben Mbiki.
3. Country by the Bay of Bengal.
4. Moslems make an annual pilgrimage to this country.
6. Rush here.
7. The land of the thunder dragon.
9. Called Jabuuti in the Somali language.
12. Name has its roots in aithiops, Greek for burnt appearance.
14. Say bah to rain.
16. Truly Asia.
17. Can yeah?
19. Zambezi River forms a border and part of its name.
22. The city of Algiers gave birth to its name.
25. Big enough to contain the Niger river in its name.
27. The land that the Nile made fertile.
28. Get set to play the _____ drums here.
29. Is it grammatically correct to say gonna?
30. Wait in queue?
35. Lord Buddha was born here.

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