To race ahead, Tata Motors bets on new launches

'We want to be number three by 2018 and every month we are moving closer to that ambition.'

With a series of new launches and aggressive marketing, Tata Motors is confident that it will progress to become the third largest brand in the Indian passenger car market.

Speaking to Business Standard at an event to showcase the company’s upcoming new vehicle Hexa, Vivek Srivastava, head of marketing for the passenger vehicle business unit of Tata Motors, said this financial year had been good for the company, which delivered higher growth than the industry.

To strengthen its position and support the company’s target of becoming the number three player, Tata Motors has lined up new launches, including the Hexa. The company was the number four player in 2016 and number six in 2015.

“We want to be number three by 2018 and every month we are moving closer to that ambition,” Srivastava said. 

The Tiago and Hexa will  be strengthened with two more offerings by March 2018. These are Kite 5, a compact sedan, and a compact SUV. 

“There are a lot of perception issues related to Tata Motors. The customer is more demanding when it comes to Tata. Tiago changed the brand perception a lot. Suddenly we are selling to young customers,” Srivastava added.

With the new cars Tata Motors would increase its market coverage to 65 per cent from 50 per cent, he added. Tata Motors reported 17.2 per cent sales growth, year on year, between April and December.

Photograph: Vivek Prakash/Reuters.