This company's decades-long effort to enter the passenger vehicle market culminated in the successful launch of India's first fully indigenous car in 1998.
In the early 1950s, the Tata Group, led by the visionary JRD Tata, aimed to bring the famous Volkswagen cars to Indian roads. They entered into discussions with Volkswagenwerk, the German company behind the iconic "People’s Car." The plan was to grant Tata the rights to sell, assemble, and manufacture Volkswagen cars in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar. This collaboration could have changed the face of India’s automotive market. There were even talks of partnering with Premier Automobiles and possibly involving Porsche to supply vehicles for India’s defence needs. However, despite these promising negotiations, the partnership with Volkswagen never came to life.
At the same time, another Tata company, TELCO (Tata Engineering and Locomotive Co.), was also trying to enter the car market. They explored a partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes was impressed with TELCO’s quality, and by 1960, they were open to the idea of allowing Tata to produce the DKW model in India. Sumant Moolgaokar, the man responsible for TELCO’s rapid growth, went as far as providing six Mercedes-Benz cars to government officials for a year-long test, hoping this would lead to government approval for local production. Unfortunately, the effort was met with silence, and the government did not give the green light.
For years, Tata’s attempts to make a mark in the passenger vehicle market were held back by strict government regulations and partnerships that didn’t work out. However, these early efforts planted the seeds for future success.
A New Era for Tata Motors
The turning point came in 1988 when Ratan Tata was appointed Executive Deputy Chairman of TELCO, marking a fresh chapter. The company introduced India's first fully indigenous pickup truck, the Tatamobile 206. Unlike Tata's earlier attempts, this vehicle was entirely developed in-house, symbolizing Tata’s self-reliance. Following this success, Tata launched the Tata Sierra in 1991 and the Tata Sumo in 1994, named after Sumant Moolgaokar.
Tata's journey into the passenger vehicle market reached its peak in 1998 when they launched the Tata Indica—India's first fully indigenous passenger car. After decades of perseverance, Tata Motors finally achieved what they had set out to do in the 1950s. The Indica’s modern design and affordability made it a household name, establishing Tata Motors as a key player in India’s automotive industry.
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 "The untold story of the missed attempt to bring Volkswagen and Porsche to India in 1950s")
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