India – the next auto powerhouse?

According to Tata Motors Australia, India's massive automotive industry is quickly becoming a powerhouse of the wider global industry, with most major companies having already established operations in India and the sector accounting for 22 per cent of the nation's manufacturing GDP.

A Tata Motors Australia press release cites a report by the Standard Charter Bank that suggests India is likely to overtake Thailand in auto export market share by 2020. It also references the Confederation of Indian Industry, which says that India is the 10th largest passenger car market in the world and the fifth largest commercial vehicle market.

While progress has slowed in recent years, Tata Motors Australia says the Indian auto sector grew by a staggering 26 per cent from 2010 to 2012, and then by a further 12 per cent in 2012.

The Indian government appears resolute in its commitment to further expansion, too. Its Automotive Mission Plan 2016 seeks to grow the sector to $US145 billion by 2016 and have it account for 10 per cent of outright GDP.

Indian vehicles are also gaining a foothold in the Australian market. A total of 21,444 new Indian-made cars and LCVs were registered here last year, the figure representing growth of 8.3 per cent. In comparison, just 4154 Chinese-made vehicles were registered – a drop of 41.4 per cent.

Established in 1945 as a manufacturer of locomotives, Tata Motors produced its first road-going commercial vehicle in 1954. Over eight million Tata vehicles can now be found on India's roads, says the company, while Tata Motors posted consolidated revenue of $US38.9 billion in 2013-14. It's India's largest auto manufacturer, and the leader in each commercial vehicle segment, says Tata.

Tata Motors employs over 60,000 people globally, including 4500 engineers. The company purchased Daewoo Commercial Vehicles in 2004 and Jaguar Land Rover in 2008, and it now exports its product to 100 countries, including Australia.

The company is represented here by distributor Tata Motors Australia, otherwise known as Fusion Automotive – in turn a division of the Walkinshaw Performance Group.

While the model line-up at present purely comprises the Xenon light commercial vehicle in cab/chassis and pickup variants (4x2, 4x4, single-cab and dual-cab), the distributor has said it will begin selling Tata's Prima (pictured) and Ultra truck models in 2016, with passenger cars to follow.

"We're looking at bringing the Tata Prima heavy-duty truck and Tata Ultra light/medium-duty truck here within the next 18 months, and passenger cars within the next three years," Fusion Automotive CEO Darren Bowler told trucksales.com.au late last year.

Tata Motors is a part of the massive Tata Group, a multinational conglomerate that reportedly generated $US103.3 billion in revenue in 2014. For an overview of the giant's operations, take a look at the corporate video below…