40| SPOTLIGHT} Green flag flying high

Indica Vista EVX wins at Brighton

to London Future Car Challenge

} An upward battleTata Motors overcomes hurdles

to develop business in Afghanistan

} Tata PixelA new city car concept for Europe

displayed at the Geneva Motor Show

46| CUSTOMER SPEAK} A comfortable ride

An Indica Vista customer on

his impressions about the car

} Tata earns our respectA delighted customer speaks

about her sturdy Indica

25| NEWSIn the newsNews about Tata Motors

from around the world

28| INTERVIEWAn Italian affairInterview with Julia

Wilson, Tata Motors

distributor in Italy

30| IN FOCUSService with a smileTata Motors customer care

and training initiatives

32| EVENTS} Geneva Motor Show} Commercial Vehicles

Middle East} Vista launch in Turkey} Automechanika in

South Africa

37| PRODUCT SHOWCASETata AriaTata Starbus

ContentsVOL 2 | ISSUE 1 | APRIL 2011

EDITORIAL TEAM

Gayatri KamathMaya GunavantheMedini BhatwadekarRoxana CooperShalini MenonShubha Madhukar

DESIGN TEAM

Anil KeswaniSonal Sonavane

A Tata Motors International quarterlyContent and design by The Information Company

Websites:www.tatacarsworldwide.com, www.cvglobal.tatamotors.com

04| COVER STORY} Opportunities for the future

Interview with Carl-Peter Forster

} 50 years of global growth

} Milestones

} Rear view

A journey down the years through images

} Globetrotter

} Hitting the 50,000 mark

40

48

48| T RAVEL AND LIVINGWhite nights in St PetersburgA trip back in time

Our ears are still ringing from the cheers as India won the cricket World Cup for

the second time after 28 long years. That same sense of pride mixed with

nostalgia is running through Tata Motors International Business as the division

marks 50 years of operations. When the Strides team thought of putting

together an issue on the 50th anniversary, we didnÊt realise what an enjoyable

effort it would be. Those old images of Tata trucks, carrying the Mercedes Benz

logo, being shipped out of the country have brought home just how much the

company has accomplished in this time.

Today Tata Motors is a market leader not just in India, but also in other countries

such as Ukraine, Bangladesh and Nepal. The `T' of the Tata Motors logo is now

on a wide range of passenger cars, utility vehicles, buses, pickups and small-to-

heavy trucks and other vehicles. The story of Tata Motors International Business

over half a century, running as the cover story in this issue, was one we were

proud to write. And of course we're very happy to provide our readers with a

rare opportunity to step back in time (see historic images in ÂRear ViewÊ).

There was also a strong sense of pride that the number of commercial vehicles

being exported has nearly doubled in the last one year. The story of the IB-CVBU

strategy, commitment and effort is detailed in the must-read `Hitting the 50,000

mark' article. This issue is special for yet another reason. Tata Motors group CEO

Carl-Peter Forster spent time chatting with the Strides team, giving his

perspective on Tata Motors International Business and the road for the future.

There's a green story in the issue · on how the Indica Vista EVX won two

awards in the Brighton to London Future Car Challenge in November 2010. The

Future Car Challenge is a clean vehicle event and the Indica Vista EVX came out

ahead of other electric, hybrid and low-emission vehicles mooted by some of the

world's leading automotive makers. The other important story is on Afghanistan.

For a number of years now, despite severe challenges and issues of security,

Tata Motors has put in a lot of effort in developing a market in the beleaguered

terrain of Afghanistan. `An upward battle' is the story of that experience.

All in all, the Strides team is proud to flag off the anniversary celebrations

with this issue.

Regards,

The Strides editorial team

Editorial

03StridesAPRIL 2011

With the economic activity balance tipping towards Asia, the timingis right for Tata Motors to drive its international business evenfurther, says Tata Motors group CEO Carl-Peter Forster in aninterview with Gayatri Kamath

Opportunities forthe future

You have been a part of Tata Motors (TML) forsome time now. What has the experience been like? I have been with Tata Motors for more than 13months now and my experience in dealing withpeople in both Jaguar Land Rover and India hasbeen a very pleasant one. I have found that peopleinteract with a sensitive and positive spirit. Many ofthem are tremendously engaged and very engaging.Personally it has been a very pleasant experience.

Professionally I am enthused by the opportunities,both in India and overseas. In India, itÊs clearly an

environment of growth and opportunity whereas inmany other markets, thereÊs stagnation. Also inmature markets like Europe, the market segmentsare quite firm; whereas in India, there is morefluidity, which allows more creativity. If you look atthe Ace, the Super Ace and the Nano, these are allsegments that are evolving almost from zero. Suchsituations, where you see big segments springingup, are unknown in Europe. The fluidity of theenvironment, which allows you to think and act outof the box, is something that I appreciate.

With your strong background in the automotiveindustry, what strengths do you see in Tata Motors?What are the challenges and opportunities that yousee for the company?The strengths of the company are obviously a resultof the environment. Tata has learnt to deal with aless structured or rigid environment and there is theability to act and react once people have made uptheir minds. Tata is also comparable to mostinternational low-cost operations. This is born out ofthe cost situation here · the wage levels and thekeen and young workforce. We have to make surethat we stay a low-cost operation or see if we cando it at an even lower cost.

We also have a very good understanding of marketswith the typical requirements of India, where peopleare very sensitive towards price and total cost ofownership. We understand harsh environments,poor road conditions, climate conditions, overloadconditions, and conditions where customers do notalways require a sophisticated service capability.This set of requirements is not completely unique toIndia. We find it in other markets in Africa, LatinAmerica, Russia, South East Asia, etc, and we are

StridesAPRIL 2011

4

COVE

R ST

ORY

able to serve these markets. Oneof the challenges is that we needto continuously improve our buildprecision. We have many goodproducts · the Ace, Prima, Nano,etc · and we need to continue todrive this progress. Anotherchallenge is that we have a verywide product range so, in thefuture if we want to expand andserve all major markets, weÊllneed to manage the complexitieswell. Going international is anotherchallenge, as we need to provethat we understand those marketsand their requirements as well aswe have understood the Indianmarket. The past has shown thatthe devil lies in the details. We need to understandthe international market and we need to stay closeto the international customer.

How would you rate Tata Motor products ascompared to their international counterparts? We have products where youÊll have a hard timefinding any competitor at all, like the Nano. Wehave a reputation for durability, sturdiness,robustness, being able to carry overloads, etc. Ourvehicles are engineered to satisfy typical Indianrequirements whereas most other manufacturerssell products meant for other markets. Our vehicleshave good to excellent fuel economy. We typicallyoffer more space than other manufacturers. Theseare our key strengths.

Tata Motors has several products in global markets.Could you tell us how the global automotiveindustry and the marketplace perceive the TataMotors brand image? Where do you see its idealpositioning?In the commercial vehicle industry, where weÊvehad a longer history and are a much better-knownentity, most professional observers see us as one ofthe future challengers from Asia. Our competitorsare certainly watching us carefully and see us as athreat. In the passenger car industry, we are notwell known yet; but after the Nano, people havenoticed that something very creative and innovativecame out of India, and we have moved on to theirradar screen. As far as ideal positioning isconcerned, we should be seen as a brand thatreliably delivers comfortable, spacious andinnovative cars and SUVs. Dependability andtrustworthiness is something that is a part of theTata brand promise already. So in commercialvehicles we should be seen as offering a robust andreliable transport solution that focuses on low costof ownership. In cars we would like our products toenthuse people, like the Nano, which people like for

the charm of it. We should alsouse new technologies to addfeatures and electronic gadgetstargeting the youngerpopulation. The Indian marketis such that a new car buyerÊsage is in the 20s, whereas inEurope a new car buyerÊs ageis in the 30s.

We should also have specificsegments in which we excel,for example in smallcommercial vehicles. There are few manufacturersin the world who can deliver very capable smallcommercial vehicles at very reasonable costs. Inpassenger cars, there is a market for smallercompact cars. In utility vehicles, there are specificproducts that have export potential · the Safari,Sumo, etc.

Tata MotorsÊ exports and international business isnow 50 years old and the company is focusing onstrengthening the business. What is the vision andmission for the International Business division andhow does it align with TMLÊs vision and mission?The international business divisionÊs vision andmission will be a core part of the overall companyvision and mission. We have spent quite a bit ofenergy and put a lot of thought in the last year ormore to fully understand the strengths of Tata andhow to leverage these for the international market.The advantage is that we have a very broadspectrum of products and most of these are India-proven, ie, for road surfaces, fuel quality, fueleconomy, spaciousness, load-carrying capability andclimatic conditions. We are now thinking about howto serve the major international markets. We arealready exporting over 50,000 vehicles and we arenow at the point where we can do that with morefocus on specific markets. We are thinking of

We are thinking of

focused areas of the

world where we want

to play a significantly

larger role. We see good

opportunities and Tata is

ambitious.

Nanos for the Smile Train

5StridesAPRIL 2011

focused areas of the world where we want to play asignificantly larger role. We see good opportunitiesand Tata is ambitious.

Which are TMLÊs biggest markets? In the currenteconomic scenario, where does the biggestpotential lie to push sales and market presence?What are the challenges?Currently the markets surrounding India, the SAARCcountries, the Middle East and southern andeastern Africa are our biggest markets; we alsohave passenger cars going to Europe.

The biggest challenge lies in building up a networkof trusted partners · dealers, distributors,importers, etc · who are willing to stay with us forthe long run. Everything else can be sorted outonce you have established this network ofdedicated partners who are willing to be a part ofthe Tata brand promise.

For international business, how does TML exploitsynergies between the passenger car andcommercial vehicle spaces?We believe that we have to offer to our existingor future partners, in existing or future markets, abusiness proposition that allows them to earn adecent return on investment. The good thing about

Tata is that with our extensive range of products,we can create a tailor-made package with bothcommercial and passenger vehicles that cater to thespecific requirements of a market.

We can pick and choose and create a product line-up that will allow our partners to very quickly rampup business. We should be able to reach a criticalmass of volume faster than many others because ofour wide product portfolio. This is a majoradvantage, one that has, in many cases, allowed usto make attractive propositions to our partners.

What do you see as the prospects for the future?In the automotive industry, the balance is tippingtowards Asia. This is the age of the upcoming Asian manufacturer. There are not too manymanufacturers who can play this game as well as Tata.

In the medium and long term, a lot of competitionwill come from China, especially on the cost front.On the technology and quality front, we will face competition from the west. We can handle the costcompetition. And we have shown that we are ableto deliver interesting technologies that areinnovative. So there are plenty of goodopportunities for Tata Motors. £

Tata Motors has made investments in the setting up of an advanced emission-testing laboratory. It is the first Indian company to introduce vehicles with Euro norms well ahead of the mandated dates.

Flagging in of the Tata Nano Superdrive caravan

StridesAPRIL 2011

6

Sometimes an image can speak a thousand

words. In the Tata Archives, the Strides

team found a photo, taken back in the

early 1960s, of one of the first Tata trucks that

was destined to drive on international soil (see

Rear View).

That sepia-toned image represented a new

beginning and an end. It was the beginning of Tata

MotorsÊ development as a commercial vehicle (CV)

manufacturer that could and did supply strong, well-

made, value-for-money trucks and buses to

countries whose requirements were similar to the

Indian market.

That historical truck also marked the end of IndiaÊs

dependence on foreign-made trucks and expensive

imports. Instead, in 1961, less than two decades

after independence, India became an exporter of

trucks, with the first set of trucks that were sent

to Sri Lanka.

The era of the 1970s,

Ê80s and Â90s saw

Tata Motors in a

flurry of export

activity. Delegations

from all over the

world came to visit

the Tata Motors plant

· one could often

find ministers from

diverse countries ·

from Argentina to

7StridesAPRIL 2011

For half a century now, Tata Motors trucks, buses and cars have been

driving its brand story in markets across the world, making this Indian-

born automotive maker a strong contender on the international stage

50 years of globalgrowth

COVER STORY

StridesAPRIL 2011

8

Australia, from South Africa to Russia driving trucks

on the newly built test track or inspecting chassis at

the factories in Pune and Jamshedpur. Army

generals from South East Asia and Africa came to

look at the array of Tata armoured trucks. There

were thousands of Tata-made buses plying the

roads of Kuwait and Bangladesh. Seychelles put the

Tata bus on a commemorative stamp, so pleased

was that country with the Tata buses that made up

the core of its public transport system. So did

Burkina Faso.

In 1993, the company had even started exporting its

utility vehicles · Sierra, Tatamobile, and later the

Sumo and the Safari. With the launch of its

passenger cars, the Indica and Indigo, Tata Motors

opened up new frontiers in Europe, with the Tata

logo cruising the streets in Italy, Malta and Spain.

By the 2000s, Tata Motors was exporting cars,

trucks, buses and construction machinery to as

many as 50 countries around the world.

A NEW ROADMAPYet, for Tata Motors, the first 40 years of its export

growth was not driven by strategy as such; it was

mostly about getting orders from various markets

and supplying the customerÊs requirements. In fact,

until the 1980s, the company was entirely

dependent on its agents or distributors for

after-sales service and customer support.

By the year 2000, Tata Motors was exporting

around 11,000 vehicles (including about 5,000 cars)

but these were dispersed to about 60 different

destinations, making it difficult to leverage any

economies of scale. Though International Business

(IB) had an after-sales team for providing service

and spare parts overseas, this function was largely

based in India, with just a handful of service

engineers posted abroad.

All of this changed about ten years ago. In 2001,

Tata Motors set out a new vision and a well thought

out roadmap for building its international business.

The objective of the new international business

strategy was to:

� Drive volumes in markets where Tata Motors

already had a strong foothold.

� Build market share and the Tata Motors brand in

these selected markets in a consistent manner.

In fact, exports became a focus area for the

company · a business vector that would allow

volumes to grow beyond the domestic pull and

would help the company offset the risk of local

market downturns.

CASHING IN ON COMPETENCIESIn boosting its international business, Tata Motors

could comfortably rely on several home advantages.

For one, the company had a big pool of skilled

engineers and technical resources. Second, India

was a low-cost base of operations · with labour

costs and manufacturing costs lower than the

western markets · and the company had a natural

competitive edge. Third, new product development

costs were low. But the last and most critical

advantage was the scale of its operations · the

plants and assembly lines with built-in capacities,

and the wide product ranges developed across

segments. Whatever the market wanted, Tata

Motors could definitely make it, and moreover,

make it competitively.

With these strategic advantages, Tata Motors set

out its new international business strategy · one

that was remarkably different from the earlier

random approach.

FOCUS AND FUNCTIONIn the new approach, Tata Motors did three

critical things:

� Relooked at overseas markets with a view to

prioritise the potentially larger and growing

markets from the smaller markets.

� Focused on standardised processes for

increased efficiencies and effectiveness.

� Restructured the distribution network.

Where export markets were concerned, the

company decided to stop shipping vehicles to all

corners of the world and focus on those markets

where it could build a satisfactory market presence.

This meant pulling out of a large number of markets

and instead concentrating on markets where it

could show a firm footprint. The new destinations

Ratan Tata handing over the key of the 20,000th vehicle sold in South Africa

were deliberately limited: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and

Nepal in South Asia; Saudi Arabia in the Middle East;

South Africa; and Ukraine and Turkey were some of

the key destinations.

Internally the entire approach to IB became more

process-oriented. High performers with intensive

sales and marketing experience were posted in IB.

Processes and systems that were tried and tested

in the domestic market were tweaked to become

suitable for the export business; for instance, the

Tata Motors customer and dealer relationship

management system (CRM-DMS) was customised

for international channel partners, sales and service

processes were standardised for all markets, etc.

New functions were set up for IB · a product

management group and a channel development

team which would speed up the process of

introducing new products as per market

requirements and would work on the market entry

strategy for new chosen markets.

Externally Tata Motors focused on strengthening its

distribution channels. Tata Motors people were

posted overseas in the markets they handled · to

be closer to the customer, the channel and even the

competition. The focus shifted from the number of

vehicles shipped from India to number of vehicles

actually retailed to customers. In its focus markets,

Tata Motors started monitoring retail sales, market

share, market dynamics, positioning vis-a-vis the

competition, customer needs, and so on. This

information was consistently fed back to the

manufacturing team and the Engineering Research

Centre so that products and services could be

further improved. In many cases entirely new

products were developed for IB markets.

The information provided by IB

included inputs and experience on

international competition, latest

technology trends, and of course

feedback on Tata Motors products

operating in extreme climates · from

Middle Eastern deserts to the cold

conditions of Russia; this was a

valuable edge for the domestic team.

A NEW DAWNThe new vision started paying off

slowly. Although the number of

countries came down, the shipments,

after a slight slump, started to show a

steep rise. The judicious mix of

developing and developed world

markets meant that Tata Motors could

leverage its cost-competitive edge

while staying on top of new

technologies and market trends.

There were changes in the product portfolio as well.

From basic models, Tata Motors started to market

complete transport solutions for big customers.

One of the first breakthroughs came in 2003, when

Tata Motors won a $19 million contract from the

World Bank to supply 500 buses that would revamp

the public transport in Senegal. For this an

assembly plant was established in Senegal, along

with workshops and after-sales facilities, and

including supply of spare parts and workshop tools

and equipment. Tata Motors even undertook

training of drivers and mechanics.

From there, Tata Motors went on to become one of

the principal suppliers of buses for a number

of cities · Colombo, Dhaka, Kinshasa, Lagos, Accra

amongst many others. In 2004, Tata Motors

obtained an institutional order for 2,300 Safaris from

Algeria after technical testing and against

competition from the likes of Toyota.

Then came a spate of global acquisitions and

mergers that gave Tata Motors a strong presence in

several international markets. It acquired South

Korea-based Daewoo Commercial Vehicle in 2004,

coach builder Hispano Carrocera of Spain in 2005

and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) in 2008, and entered

into joint ventures with Fiat, Thailand truck maker

Thonburi and Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo.

Each of these further boosted Tata Motors build

capability, product portfolio, technological skills,

market presence and brand identity. The Daewoo

truck range enhanced Tata MotorsÊ CV portfolio by

adding high-powered engines, giving it a spread

from the 70HP class all the way up to 420HP. The

partnerships with Hispano and Marcopolo gave Tata

9StridesAPRIL 2011

Indica on the assembly line

Motors access to world-class designs and top-end

manufacturing capabilities in buses. The introduction

of Tata Motors cars in Europe led to new

technologies as the cars became compliant to

European norms · from Euro III to Euro IV and

subsequently Euro V.

Over the years, Tata Motors has invested in

building capability for local assembly and

manufacturing in various markets to meet local

requirements. Now there are assembly operations

based on completely knocked down and semi-

knocked down kits in Thailand, Ukraine and

Bangladesh (and another coming up in South

Africa), giving the Tata Motors brand an

international flavour.

SUCCESS STORYToday Tata buses are being used as safe and

luxurious transportation by Saudi Arabian school

girls. In Haiti, Tata Xenons and Safaris are used for

much-needed relief and rehabilitation work in the

aftermath of the earthquake that rocked the country

in January 2010. The Tata Ace is working its magic

in developing markets such as Sri Lanka,

Bangladesh and some of the African nations by

providing not only the best economies for the last

mile transportation but also livelihood for many of

the unemployed youth in the countries.

In the passenger cars market, Tata Motors has

pushed itself to gain a strong foothold in markets

such as South Africa, where Tata Indicas are zipping

shoulder-to-shoulder with bigger brands. New

models are being taken overseas soon after their

Indian launch · the Manza is already in Nepal, the

Vista is cruising in South Africa, Nepal, Italy, Sri

Lanka, Poland and Turkey.

Crossing the fence, Tata Motors is helping out

international channel partners to upgrade facilities,

improve product portfolios and connect better with

customers. There are 650 distributors and dealers

all over the world who are supported by the 200

strong IB team in Mumbai.

Tata MotorsÊ new product portfolio has several

popular items that are catching on quick · Ace

and Super Ace, the small commercial vehicles;

the small but innovative Nano; the Vista and its

electric counterpart; the small, mid-size and

inter-city range of buses. WhatÊs remarkable is

that the Ace and the Nano are examples of

success where Tata Motors has innovated

and created segments that are new to the

automotive world.

It has been 10 years since the Tata Motors

International Business has worked to formally

establish the Tata brand in new markets and

geographies, and just as important, with new

capabilities. And the effort has paid off hugely.

The year 2011 marks several milestones for Tata

Motors. It has been 50 years since the first truck

was shipped out to Sri Lanka, and therefore the

50th anniversary of its international business. It is

also the year when exports have touched an all-time

high · as many as 58,000 cars, buses and trucks

bearing the distinctive Tata `TÊ rolled out from Indian

factories have found happy customers on foreign

soils. The Tata Motors brand is getting bigger by the

day in the international market. �

Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle plant in Gunsan, South Korea

What's the Tata Cobra?

It's the name given to a car transporter that Tata Motors sold to Campbell Motors of New Zealand

in 1973, the first Tata vehicle in that country. When the Cobra crossed 15,000 miles without a

single complaint, the customer asked for 28 more transporters!

StridesAPRIL 2011

10

· Gayatri Kamath

� 1945: Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (Telco) set up.

� 1952: Tata makes the first locomotive.

� 1954: Tie-up with Mercedes Benz

to make trucks.

� 1961: The first Tata truck exported to Sri Lanka.

� 1969: The `T' replaces the Mercedes

Benz logo on Tata trucks.

� 1977: HCV production commences.

� 1986: First LCV manufactured.

� 1989-90: Telco wins Top Exporter

Shield for five years in a row; Exports

touches `100 crore.

� 1991: Tata launches its first passenger car, the Sierra.

� 1994: Joint ventures with Holset

Engineering to produce Cummins

engines; with Mercedes Benz to

manufacture the E-class sedan.

� 1996: Tata Motors annual sales

crosses 100,000 vehicle mark.

� 1998: Tata Motors launches the Indica,

IndiaÊs first fully indigenous car;

displayed at the Geneva Motor Show.

� 2001: Exits joint venture with Daimler

Chrysler.

� 2003: Telco renamed Tata Motors.

� 2004: Tata Motors acquires South

Korean company Daewoo Commercial

Vehicle; Tata Motors lists on the NYSE.

� 2005: Tata Motors buys into Spanish

company Hispano Carrocera which

becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary in

2009; The hugely-successful Tata Ace

is launched.

� 2006: Tata Motors enters into JVs

with Brazilian coach maker Marcopolo;

and with Thailand company Thonburi.

� 2007: Tata Fiat plant at Ranjangaoninaugurated.

� 2008: Tata Motors showcases the

Nano; acquires Jaguar Land Rover.

� 2009: Tata Motors launches Prima, the

world truck.

� 2010: Tata Aria, the first Indian four-wheel drive crossover, hits the

road; Tata Nano plant inaugurated at

Sanand; Tata Motors heavy truck plant

at Myanmar inaugurated.

� 2011: Tata Nano crossed the 100,000 milestone.

Rear V iew

<Tata Motors was set up as Tata Engineering andLocomotives (Telco) in1945 to make locomotiveswith German technology.The first locomotive rolledonto tracks in 1952

>From 1954 to 1969,

Tata had tied up with Mercedes Benz to make

diesel trucks in India. Those early trucks carried

the Mercedes star logo

Take a walk in the past. With the help of Tata CentralArchives, Strides has put together a collection of images that give youglimpses into Tata Motors'long and eventful history

StridesAPRIL 2011

12

<Built with German technology and made tolast, those old Tata truckswere sturdy and reliable

>Along with trucks,

Tata-made MercedesBenz buses were a common sight on

Indian roads

<In 1955, three Tata trucksmade an 8,000-mile journeyas part of the Geneva-Bombay Rally without a single breakdown. JRD Tata greeted the team,which had DRD Tata as oneof the drivers, at Bombay

13StridesAPRIL 2011

<By 1969, the Tata Mercedes Benz tie-up had produced over175,000 vehicles, ie, half of thetrucks and buses on Indian roads

<Tata Motors' very first export achievement was in1961, when a shipment oftrucks was commissionedby Ceylon (now Sri Lanka)

>The 100,000th truck

to roll off the line

StridesAPRIL 2011

114

>The second assembly

line at Jamshedpurcame in handy for

filling in export orders. The first

vehicle off the secondline was a truck

headed for Abu Dhabi

>In 1969, the

Mercedes Benztie-up ended and

the 3-pointedstar was

replaced by the Tata ‘T’.

A proud moment for Tata and India

<Tata Motors' Pune lineproduces its first trucks

15StridesAPRIL 2011

>Armoured trucks and cars form a

significant part of the company's portfolio.Tata Motors has been supplying the Indian

Army for several years

>The Tata Sierra, launched in

India in 1991, found its way tothe UK and Spain in 1995

<The launch of the Tata Indica,India's first indigenously produced car, in 1998 was aproud moment for Tata Motors.Shortly thereafter, the Indicawas shipped to Europe (Malta in1999 and Italy in 2000) andSouth Africa (in 2004)

<Tata made a range of construction vehicles including roadrollers, cranes,clamshells and drag lines. Another addition to the export portfolio was the Tata Hitachi hydraulic excavator. In1989, seven of these were sent to Iraq

StridesAPRIL 2011

16

<The indigenous Indica was amilestone in the Tata Motorsjourney. Since its introduction,a number of variants have beenbuilt on the Indica platform suchas the Indigo sedan and the Marina station wagon and alsotheir LPG and CNG variants

Then and nowPassenger Cars

17StridesAPRIL 2011

>From the Sierra

to the Safari

<From Tatamobile tothe Xenon

StridesAPRIL 2011

18

Then and nowUTILITY VE H I CLES

>From Mercedes Benz trucks

to the Tata World Truck

<Buses fromGerman technology to Brazilian class

19StridesAPRIL 2011

Then and nowCOMME R CIAL VE H I CLES

GLOBETROTTERGLOBETROTTERTata Motors' presence in Africa dates back to 1965 when the firstbatch of 20 trucks was shipped to Egypt. Since then the region hasbecome a focus area for exports as well as assembly operations forcommercial vehicles.

Manufacturing base: Senegal

Sales and distribution units: South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda,Mozambique, Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Angola, Algeria, Sudan, Djibouti

Highlights:Tata Motors supplied 500 buses to Senegal in 2003 under a World Bankcontract that included setting up a fully equipped bus body plant,providing maintenance and handling training. Today more than 1,500Tata buses are plying in Senegal. The Vista is already making its presence felt on South African roads; about 1,000 Vistas were sold lastyear. A new manufacturing plant is coming up in South Africa.

What's popular?Trucks: Ace, 207DI, LPT 709, LP 613, Xenon, LPO 1318Cars: Indica Vista Indica, Indigo Sedan and Indigo SwUtility vehicles: Sumo and Safari

AFRICA

Back in 1985, Tata Motors opened its account in then USSR by shipping 404 trucks.

Manufacturing base: Ukraine

Sales and distribution units: Russia, Ukraine

Highlights:In 2002, Tata Motors partnered with Boryspil Auto Plant to set up anassembly unit for the LP 613 bus in Ukraine. Boryspil has two assemblyplans. One in Kiev and the other at Chernigiv. In 2004 Tata Motorsappointed another channel partner, Zaparozhiya Auto Plant. Today boththe channel partners assemble and sell LPT 613 truck and LP 613 busin Ukraine. Tata Motors entered Russia in 2004 and have assembledLPT 613 truck and LP 613 bus in this region. Currently more than2,500 vehicles are plying on the Russian roads.

What's popular?LPT 613 truck, LP 613 bus

RUSSIA CIS

StridesAPRIL 2011

20

· Irena Melkunova

The first Tata Motors vehicle that went to the other sideof the world was in 1973 in a shipment to Guyana. TodayChile is a big market for Tata Motors.

Sales and distribution units: Chile

Highlights:Tata Motors partnered with Conrico International andprovided Tata vehicles for rescue and relief operations inHaiti after the region was struck with a massive earthquake in January 2010. Tata vehicles proved aseffective ground support for post-earthquake rehabilitationwork in Haiti. Tata Motors is now looking at developing alarger footprint in the region.

What's popular?Xenon

The Middle East market opened up for Tata Motors in1965 when a single truck was sent to Bahrain. In1969, more exports followed as both trucks andbuses proved popular in the region.

Sales and distribution units: Abu Dhabi, Dubai,Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

Highlights:The very first truck to roll out from the secondassembly line in Jamshedpur in 1992 was one markedfor Abu Dhabi. Last year Tata Motors successfully executed an 1,100 school bus order to Saudi Arabia.

What's popular?Pickups: XenonBuses: LPO 1618, LPO 1316Cars: Indica Vista

Thailand is the second biggest market for pickups. TheTata Xenon is manufactured locally at Tata Motors Thailand, a joint venture between Tata Motors and Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant Company.

Manufacturing base: Thailand

Sales and distribution units: Thailand

Highlights:Tata Sumo was the backbone of the UN keeping force in East Timor. The after sales service provided by Tata Motors won many accolades.Tata Motors Thailandhas recently launched the Tata Super Ace City Giant, a 1-tonne commercial vehicle.

What's popular?Xenon

Sri Lanka featured as Tata Motors first export market in 1961.

Manufacturing bases: India, Bangladesh, Myanmar

Sales and distribution units: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, SriLanka, Bhutan, Myanmar

Highlights:A new truck assembly plant was recently inaugurated in Myanmar.More than 18,000 units of Ace have been sold in South Asia alone.

What's popular?Trucks: Ace, LPT 1615, SE 1613, LPT 1109Cars: Indica Vista, Sumo

SOUTH ASIA

LATIN AMERICA

SOUTH EAST ASIAMIDDLE EAST

In the '90s France became a market for Tata Motors pickups. TodayTata Motors passenger cars are compliant with EU norms and are beingshipped to several EU countries.

Manufacturing base: Spain

Sales and distribution units: Italy, Spain, Poland

Highlights:In 1994, Tata Motors entered Europe, one of the world's mostcompetitive auto markets, with its TelcoSports model (also known as

the Sierra) followed by the Safari and Indica. At one stage Tata Motorswas selling more TelcoSports in Europe than at home. In 2008, JaguarLand Rover came into the Tata fold. Tata Motors also picked up a 21-per cent stake in Hispano Carrocera in 2005; in 2009 Hispano became a full subsidiary.

What's popular?Xenon, Indica Vista, Safari

EUROPE

21StridesAPRIL 2011

Inputs from MP Sawe

The year 2011 will go down as a landmarkyear for Tata Motors Commercial VehiclesInternational Business unit (IB-CVBU). The

business unit has crossed a major milestone byexporting 50,000 commercial vehicles and busesfor the first time in its 50 years of operations.

The heartening aspect is that the Tata Motors brandis now showing significantly higher market shares inSri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Ukraine as well asseveral nations in Africa and Europe. In Bangladeshand Nepal, Tata Motors is the biggest brand, withmore than half the market share to its credit. TataMotors has made great strides with its mini truck,Ace in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and controls more

than 85 per cent of the small vehicle market. In Italy,it has achieved the position of being the fourthlargest player. Tata Motors also enjoys leadershipposition in the light bus market in Ukraine. The mostremarkable part of this happy story is the fact thatjust last year, exports of commercial vehicles wereimpacted by the global meltdown and had fallen to alow of 27,000-odd numbers. How then, in a timewhen worldwide automotive sales were stagnatingin a post-recession slump, did the company manageto almost double its export volumes?

SETTING THE BARThe answer lies in a carefully thought out strategythat looked at the entire sales, marketing and

Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles International Business achieved amajor milestone this year by selling more than 50,000 commercialvehicles worldwide. The company has set its goal on increasing itsoverseas presence in its bid to become a truly international player inthe near future

Hitting the 50,000mark

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One team towards One purpose with only

One desire to win inOne success to the next raising

One bar after another withOne soaring mind

COVE

R ST

ORY

distribution picture and focused on crucial markets(See box: Tackling the recession). And, just asimportant, this strategy was brought into play at theright time- catching markets just when they showedsigns of revival and growth.

The success of the international drive started with asimple thought · to think big. In May 2009, at aconference attended by IB-CVBUÊs head office andregional teams and the Product Management Group,the team created a strategy document that set clearlydefined objectives for the international business. Thestrategy looked at gaining market shares acrossregions and reaching for leadership positions in termsof customer satisfaction, market share, profitabilityand network strength in some key markets.

This action plan helped to set down goals andtargets for each regional manager. Since themarkets had started slowly recovering from themeltdown,the formal target for 2010-11 was set atthe 40,000 mark, even though the highest thecompany had ever achieved was 39,463 vehicles inthe pre-recession era of 2007-08.

RAISING THE BARThen, instead of settling for easily-won laurels, theIB-CVBU team decided to up the ante. Says RTWasan, Head IB-CVBU, „We felt we could dosomething better than the best achieved so far, byjust stretching ourselves to meet a stiffer target, andby believing in it strongly enough to go after it withfull vigour.‰ In May 2010, an annual businessconference was arranged with the entire IB-CVBU team, which included the teams from sales and

marketing, after-sales support, productmanagement, marketing services, businessplanning, logistics, finance, etc. The team togetherdecided to take on a highly aspirational target of60,000 vehicles in FY10-11. Says Mr Wasan, „Thiswas a very bold step considering we had closed the2009-10 year at 27,911 vehicles; it meant workingtowards a jump of 115 per cent in volume growth.‰

In a gruelling three-day session, the IB-CVBU teamalong with all the functional support teams, put inplace an action plan where every team memberwas aware of the contribution necessary to hit thebig target of 60,000 vehicles.

STRATEGIC MOVESThe new plan was focused on strategic markets and products. A key area of interest was the SouthAsian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)market, a region which had shown the least impactof the recession. With Bangladesh and Sri Lankashowing political stability, these countries becamethe prime destinations. Sri Lanka in fact put in oneof Tata MotorsÊ biggest orders last year · 839commercial vehicles for its defence forces. Tata Aceproved to be a bestseller in many markets; last year, Bangladesh alone shipped in more than 8,000Ace vehicles.

Another big success story came from the MiddleEast. In a prestigious contract, IB-CVBU bagged anorder for 1,100 school buses to be supplied toHafil Transport of Saudi Arabia. The IB-CVBU teamalso focused on winning significant orders fromAfrica. This effort paid off hugely as new orders

23StridesAPRIL 2011

Popular models: Tata Ace, Marcopolo bus and garbage compactors

TACKLING THE RECESSION

MARKET STRATEGYCHANNEL STRATEGYChallenges

Counter actions

w All product segments had shown a severe dip in FY08-09 over FY07-08.

w The downturn continued well into FY09-10.

w Vehicle-buying capacity impacted by stringentcredit norms, high vehicle loan rates and increase in down-payments.

w Large volumes of stock remained with channel partners because of low levels of retail.

w Working closely with channel partners to reduce stock; focusing on retail growth.

w Re-assessment of price positioning and revision of retail price.

w Motivating and supporting the sales team to take on bigger targets.

w Building the network to ensure better customer reach and service to our existing customers.

w Focus on SAARC and Africa to capitalise on opportunities.

w Focus on participation in government and large institutional business.

w Focus on high growth SCV segment in SAARC.

w Focus on Xenon sales in all key markets.

w Focus on fully-built application vehicles.

PRODUCT STRATEGY

started coming in from new customers. TheRepublic of Benin placed an order for 60ambulances; Nigeria asked for 100 buses; Senegalordered 200 buses; Sudan requested 75 garbagecompactors and so on.

Internally, the teams shifted into high gear.Regional heads worked hard to infuse excitementinto their channel partners. The teams focused onidentifying the various growth opportunities withineach country and for different product segments.The regional teams then worked with therespective distributor teams to look for newopportunities while leveraging existing lines tomaximise retail. The effort showed good results:volumes for small, light and medium commercialvehicles in the SAARC region showed strong

growth, as did bus volumes in Middle East andSAARC, along with the recovery in volumes forpick ups in Africa and Turkey.

Close coordination with the assembly plants and the teams handling new products and variants onone hand and the shipping companies and serviceproviders on the other hand ensured that productswere available as per requirement and supplyconstraints were minimised. The logistics teamworked very closely with the manufacturing team to ensure that the ordered vehicles reached the port on time.

The channel partners reciprocated with strongsupport. Explains Mr Wasan, „It was not only the TML team that was excited about achievingthis huge target. Each of the channel partnersparticipated wholeheartedly in all the initiativesand even took the lead in many of them. Withoutequal enthusiasm and dedicated efforts from the channel partners, this goal would not havebeen possible.‰

So well did the action plan work, that IB-CVBUcrossed the 40,000 mark in December 2010, andcruised easily to hit 50,000 by the end of thefinancial year. By setting the bar higher than everbefore, Tata Motors has demonstrated the strengthand capabilities of its vehicles and its people. Andwith this remarkable success behind them, theteam is now gearing up to achieve its next majormilestone · 100,000 vehicles next year. £

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Xenon: Economical and fuel-efficient

NEW TRUCK PLANT ATMYANMAR INAUGURATEDThe heavy turbo truck factory ofMyanmar Automobile and DieselEngine Industries (MADI) wasformally inaugurated by the PrimeMinister of Myanmar, Thein Sein, atMagwe on December 31, 2010.MADI is a government enterprise thathas been set up by Tata Motors underthe $20 million line of credit extendedby the Government of India toMyanmar. The state-of-the-artassembly plant in Central Myanmarhas a capacity to produce 1,000trucks per annum initially, with the

flexibility of going up to 5,000 trucksper year. The function was attendedby VS Seshadri, the Indianambassador to Myanmar, and severalMyanmar ministers. A senior teamfrom Tata Motors was also present,led by SB Borwankar, Senior VicePresident of manufacturing operations(CVBU).

TATA HISPANO WINS BIG BUS ORDER IN SPAINTata Hispano Motors Carrocera SA,Tata MotorsÊ wholly owned subsidiaryin Spain, has won a prestigious order

for supplying around 500 buses in thenext three years to the Avanza Group,one of SpainÊs largest privatepassenger transportation groups.

The order includes Intea Premiumand Intea Low Entry models formedium and suburban routes, theXerus model for long-distance routesand Area and Habit models for urbantransportation routes. The buses formedium and long-distance routesinclude features such as airconditioning, LED daylight, heating,audio video, multiplex and doorsafety systems. The Area and Habitmodels are equipped with wheelchairramps and other features to makethe vehicles easily accessible forall users.

TATA MOTORS WINS ASTEVIE AWARDTata Motors won an award and twocertificates in the fifth annual StevieAwards for Sales and CustomerService, against stiff competitionfrom more than 800 internationalorganisations that participated in theprogramme. Tata MotorsÊCommercial Vehicles unit won thePeopleÊs Choice for Favorite

In the news

Employees at work at the new truck plant in Myanmar

Hispano buses rule the roads in Spain Winning the prestigious Stevie Award

25StridesAPRIL 2011

NEW

S

Customer Service Award andcertificates of finalist in theCustomer Service Leader of the Yearand Customer Service Departmentof the Year categories. The awardwas presented to SP Joshi, HeadCustomer Support, CVBU, during abanquet on February 21 at the EdenRoc Renaissance Hotel in Miami.The Stevie Awards is a prestigiousUS-based business awardprogramme with a mission torecognise and honouraccomplishments of sales, customerservice and professionalsworldwide; the event seesparticipation from internationallyrecognised organisations fromAustralia, Austria, Canada, Japan,Italy, Africa, Sri Lanka, Far East Asia,South America, the US and the UK.

TATA VEHICLES STORMTHE PODIUM IN DESERTSTORM 2011 RALLY In a special victory in the motorsports arena, Tata MotorsÊ FullThrottle team won the top threepositions in the Ndure A categoryin Desert Storm 2011 rally as wellas the first and third positions inNdure overall. What is remarkableis that the Tata vehicles · twoSafaris and two Xenon XT ·triumphed over several Pajeros,Scorpios, Gypsies and a Yeti. The victory is special for Tata

Motors since this was the first time that the company officiallyfielded a team in the Desert Stormrally. In fact, the event marked thefirst entry of Tata Motors on theIndian rally circuit. Commenting on the win, SG Saxena, head utility vehicles, Tata Motors said,„Nothing can announce our entryinto motor sports better than this victory that came soon afterthe formation of Tata Motors Full Throttle. This achievementencourages us to take Full Throttleto a new level and underscores thecapabilities of our products andtheir performance in thecompetitive arena of motor sports.Expect more from Tata Motors FullThrottle in future.‰

SPECIAL AMBULANCESFOR BENINTata Motors recently supplied 60ambulances built on the SFC 407platform to the Republic of Benin.The contract comes under aGovernment of India grant and theambulances carry signs saying„Donation from the Governmentand people of India to the peopleof the Republic of Benin‰. Theafter-sales support of theseambulances will be through TataAfrica Holding (Ghana), distributorof Tata Motors in Ghana with thehelp of its dealer in Benin. TataMotors has a big presence in WestAfrica and these ambulances willboost the companyÊs brand imagein the region.

Tata Motors ambulances on the road in Benin

The Full Throttle team tastes victory in the Desert Storm 2011 rally Tata Motors enters the arena of motor sports

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26

SUPER ACE CITY GIANTUNVEILED Tata Motors Thailand introduced theTata Super Ace City Giant, a new 1-tonne commercial vehicle, at theThailand International Motor Expo2010. The vehicle, specificallydesigned to boost logistic efficiencyin congested areas, is fitted with a1,405cc SOHC diesel engine withturbocharger and intercooler thatgenerates 70 HP. Its flat body withthree drop sides makes loadinggoods on the vehicle convenient.The Tata Super Ace City Giant wasavailable at a special introductionprice of 349,000 Thai baht at themotor expo.

BIG ORDER FROM SRILANKAN DEFENCE MINISTRYTata Motors has recently won an

order to supply 839 commercialvehicles worth more than $15million to the Ministry of Defence in Sri Lanka under an Indian line ofcredit. The company will alsosupply 77 units of passenger carsas part of this order. The TataMotors component constitutesaround 65 per cent of the totalbusiness under this tender.

Tata MotorsÊ vehicles, known forruggedness and ease of operationand maintenance, are popular withSri Lankan defence forces. Alongwith the distributor in Sri Lanka,Diesel & Motor Engineering, TataMotors provides training andmaintenance support for all Tatavehicles. With this new order, theSri Lankan government has shownits continued faith and trust in theTata brand.

SAFARI LAUNCHED INTANZANIA The Safari 4x4 was launched inTanzania by the Tanzanian Minister ofTrade and Industry Cyril Chami onJanuary 30 in the presence of theIndian High CommissionerKV Baghirath. During the ceremony,the first three owners were handedkeys to their vehicles. The Tanzaniangovernment has expressed interest inbuying attractively priced vehicles inan effort to cut down on costs; TataMotors plans to target this segment.

SENEGAL RECEIVES TATABUSESThe first lot of 50 buses, part of aprestigious order by SenegalÊs public transport system for 200 buses, has been delivered by TataMotors. In a ceremony attended bymore than 3,000 transporters andgovernment officers, the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, handedover the first bus · a LP 709 model· to the buyer, Crest Global SA. TataMotors distributor Tata Africa Senegal in collaboration with itsdealer Unitech Motors has opened aservice facility for the maintenance ofthese buses in Touba. The buseshave been financed by Fonde dePromotion Economique (90 per cent),a Government of Senegal enterprise,and by the operators (10 per cent). £

Super convenient: The new Super Ace City Giant The Safari finds takers in Tanzania

Tata vehicles for Sri Lanka defence forces

27StridesAPRIL 2011

Melian Italia has been the sole distributor for Tata Motors in Italyfor over 18 years now. In an interview with Strides, Julia Wilson,CEO of Melian Italia, talks about how the relationship hastransformed over the years and how the Tata brand is going fromstrength to strength

An Italian affair

Tell us about Melian ItaliaÊs relationship with TataMotors and how it came about.In 1993, Tata Motors had decided to look for adistributor in Italy and the Indian Ambassador inItaly at the time suggested we propose ourcompany. We had an appointment in Rome with afunctionary from Tata Motors and from thatmoment we were convinced to carry forward thismission together.

After nearly a year, Tata Motors sent us a messagethat they had decided to nominate Melian importerand distributor for Italy and asked us if we couldcome to India immediately. Our first visit toMumbai and Tata Motors was in July 1994 · thebeginning of our relationship. We have always hadvery strong ties with people at Tata Motors and this

was based on important business relationships aswell as personal ones.

It has been a long association; could you sharesome experiences that have served to cement thebond with Tata Motors?Our first visit was obviously an important event andthe beginning of the adventure together. Onarriving in Mumbai, we had the pleasure of seeinga little girl who had just been born to a Tataemployee, and as she started her life we startedours with Tata Motors.

We exhibited Tata products at the Bologna MotorShow in December 1994 and have attended all the auto expo exhibitions at New Delhi, since Tata Motors participated. This is apart from our

regular visits to Tata Motorsin Mumbai and Pune overthe years.

How has your relationshipwith Tata Motors evolvedover the years and what doyou think the future holds forthe relationship?Our relationship over theyears has evolved so as to bea strong part of our market inItaly. We started with onlypickups and then gradually,over the years, new productscame along, and thesebecame more suitable for ourmarket. The future of therelationship must be thereaping of all the work thathas been done by bothparties, to prepare the

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INTE

RVIE

W

Julia Wilson, CEO of Melian Italia, the Tata Motors distributor in Italy

building blocks, when Tata products take animportant place in the Italian and Europeanmarkets. In Italy we have a dealersÊ network ofover 100 dealers that covers the whole territoryand is convinced of a future with Tata.

Over the years Melian Italia has been a distributorfor numerous Tata products. Which of these is yourpersonal favourite to date and why?The products have changed considerably over theyears, and the new Vista shows the progressmade with a product that stands up well to itscompetitors. However, I think the Safari (which hasaccompanied us for many years and with varioustransformations) would qualify. The Safari waspresented to the press in Italy in 1999 when wehad the pleasure of having PM Telang (now TataMotors managing director) with us along withother Tata personnel. The Safari has been a part ofour life for nearly 12 years now and we waitimpatiently for the new model planned for 2012.

What business values do Tata Motors and MelianItalia share that have contributed to strengtheningthe relationship?Reciprocal respect and a solid personal relationshipwith Tata MotorsÊ management as well as ouradmiration and affection for chairman Ratan Tata,who we have had the pleasure of meeting on manyoccasions. The value of our business with Tata hasbeen constructed by people.

How does Melian Italia work to countercompetition in the Italian automobile market?This is not easy as the Italian market is among themost important in Europe and competition is veryhigh. However, our strong point in Italy has beenthe formation of our dealersÊ network, which has avery strong relationship with our company andconsequently transmits their confidence to futureclients. Their conviction in the brand will takeforward our products together with theinvestments made by Tata Motors and Melian Italiafor the future.

What features of Tata MotorsÊ products havegarnered the interest of Italian consumers?Pickups, competitive and solid work horses, werethe only models available in the years from 1995to 1998 and formed the backbone of business inItaly. Our whole organisation was geared from thestart for the sales of commercial vehicles and withthe arrival of Xenon at the end of 2007, we notonly had a solid work vehicle but one with anextremely attractive style which was able tocompete with the other high-end makes in themarket. Xenon is well known in our market andranks among the top five in terms of market

share. Apart from the four basicversions, we have the possibilityof offering a large number ofspecial versions with fixed loadbodies but also tippers both rearand three way. In Italy, the Tataname was established thanks tothese commercial vehicles. Thelaunch of the Tata Nano in Delhi(2008) launched the Tata name toworldwide fame. In Italy, it hadenormous impact. The Tata Nanohas meant that models nowlaunched by Tata are more readily recognised bythe general public.

Tata Motors and Melian Italia provided Tata Safaristo Centro Turistico ACLI (CTA) in their drive tocollect funds for impoverished Africancommunities. Could you tell us about other CSRinitiatives that you have been part of?Melian Italia works regularly in the sponsorshipfield with initiatives involved in raising funds forthe benefit of countries / persons in need of help. For several years we have provided support andvehicles for the Cow Parade, a very popularworldwide event · life-size fibre glass cows aredecorated by local artists, exhibited and paraded in the city hosting the event and at the end soldfor charity. We have in the past provided supportand ambulances, utilising Tata Safaris at specialprices for local organisations working in the civilprotection field. With the arrival of the new Safariand Aria, we may be able to offer vehicles again.Through our dealers we provide special supportfor cars (in the past Indica and now Vista) forraffles for charity where the cars are put up as prizes. £

Our strong point in Italy

has been the formation of

our dealer’s network.

Their conviction in the

brand will take forward

our products

Julia Wilson, CEOMelian Italia

29StridesAPRIL 2011

Julia Wilson with Adriano Doriguzzi, President, Melian Italia

Customer care and after-sales service measures have proved to beone of the key differentiators that makes Tata Motors and itspartners stand tall in the market

The customer is always king, but when theking is based on a continent thousands ofkilometres away and speaks a different

language, treating the king right becomes a taskthat calls for careful management planning. As aleading automotive company with customers inglobal markets, Tata Motors has devised a customercare plan that looks at several aspects of after-salesservice and is standardised to be of top qualityacross countries.

Among the many measures taken for customercare and after-sales service are initiatives such asdealer orientation, driver training, setting up ofworkshops and spare parts counters, techniciantraining, and so on. Across the world, whether it isthe Middle East, Africa or Europe, or in nearbyAsian Countries both customers and dealers arepleased with the depth and scope of Tata MotorsÊcustomer care programmes.

TRAINING THE TECHNICIANSOne critical investment that Tata Motors has madeis in setting up training centres in partnership with

channel partners. The centres provide training invarious areas such as troubleshooting, diagnosticsand aggregate overhauling.

What makes these centres a big success is thatthey work with local workers, train in local languagesand are geared to local conditions. For instance, inSouth Africa, training is imparted in Afrikaans.According to Tanzania-based Bonite Bottlers, thelearning has visible benefits. Says manager SriKrishna, „The training session and tips helpeddrivers and technicians understand how to maintainand service the trucks in a more efficient way.„

Across the globe five training centres have beenopened in this financial year. In Bangladesh, Oman,Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Kenya full-fledged mechanicstraining school have been started. In South Africa,Tata Motors has equipped the Imperial TrainingCentre with aggregates and vehicles that helpapprentices with the practical training. Graduatingapprentices enter the industry with full knowledgeof Tata aggregates · thus helping to improvecustomer support and positively reinforce the brand.Apprentices are offered four levels of training andthe courses are approved by the government bodyManufacturing, Engineering and Related ServicesSector Education and Training Authority.

In the Middle East, the Tata Motors customer careteam felt the need for a well-equipped technicaltraining school. The region has been a strong marketfor Tata Motors since 1985, with buses being themost popular vehicle. But in the recent past, severaltruck models have been shipped · implying a needfor fresh training on the new vehicles.

The Middle East training centre will be set up inpartnership with Al Hashar Company, the Tatadistributor in Oman. In the meantime, the TataMotors team is providing direct training totechnicians at key dealerships and customer fleets.The Central Training Centre in Istanbul, Turkey, has

Service with a smile

The proper training of technicians is a crucial part of Tata Motors customer care

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IN F

OCUS

been instrumental in ensuring quality support toTata Motors customers. Every year, over 200 peopleare trained at the centre in various skills, withtraining sessions conducted in the Turkish language.

Tata Motors has also made big investments in e-learning modules specially designed formechanics, that will facilitate distance learning.These modules have been developed in Bengali forBangladesh, Sinhalese for Sri Lanka and Arabic forthe Middle East.

CHANNEL SUPPORT In each country, Tata Motors works with its channelpartners to provide customer care down the line allthe way to the end customer. Explains RobertoBinotto, after-sales director at Melian Italia, whichhas been the Tata Motors distributor in Italy since1994, „The final customer is the person who buysand uses our Tata vehicles but the first customer forus is our dealer.‰

Melian Italia works to provide its dealers with aunique service · the overhauling of variousmechanical groups such as engines, gearboxes,steering gear, etc. Melian Italia stocks theoverhauled groups in its warehouse. The dealers arethus provided with professionally and reliablyoverhauled parts in a reduced time. Moreover, theend customer is satisfied because the vehicle isreturned in a shorter span of time.

The network provides various value-added services tocustomers which makes the customer care a cuttingedge across regions. For example, a dedicatedCustomer Assistance Cell works round the clock incountries such as Bangladesh and Kenya. As thevehicle population in SAARC countries isexperiencing massive growth, off-road assistancehas become a key necessity and Tata Motors hasalways been prompt in providing this service throughits large fleet of mobile vans and mobile workshops.

DRIVER TRAININGOne of the most popular measures has been thedriver training that Tata Motors offers through itsdistributors and dealers. For example, fleet customersfrom the mining or construction sectors are offereddriver-training packages that are specific to theirusage. Then there is a specific 4X4-wheel drivetraining that helps reduce wear and tear and extendsthe life of the vehicle. The packages include basicskills and specialised techniques to help reduce fuelconsumption and improve on-road performance of thevehicles, as well as doÊs and donÊts for the vehicle.

Recently Tata Motors has taken the importantstrategic initiative of setting up driver trainingschools equipped with the latest sophisticated

facilities in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.The project will be completed in mid2011-12.

WORKSHOP MANAGEMENTAnother key aspect of Tata Motorssupport to its channel partners andcustomers is help in workshopmanagement. For instance, at theZahira dealer workshop in theDemocratic Republic of Congo,several initiatives were takenspecifically to reduce repeatcomplaints. These included: w Implementation of service

process in workshop.w Monitoring of job cards as per service process.w Ownership of jobs by respective technicians.w Work progress monitoring at regular intervals.w Employee motivational system for improving

work performance.

So successful was this initiative that repeatcomplaints dropped from 7.3 per cent in January2010 to zero in July 2010, inspite of the number ofvehicles attended going up from 95 to about 180-200 per month. Some of Tata Motors distributors ·Nitol Motors in Bangladesh and Sipradi Trading in Nepal · have introduced ÂgreenÊ processes inworkshop management to significantly reducetheir electricity, paper and water consumption, and have undertaken tree plantation and wastemanagement drives.

For Tata Motors this level of customer care bringswith it more than just customer goodwill. Theactivity goes a long way in building the Tata brandand spreading awareness of the quality of Tatavehicles. And the dealers benefit through theultimate parameter of customer satisfaction ·repeat business. £

31StridesAPRIL 2011

I get very good after-sales

service support from Tata

Motors. Our workshop

team has received technical

training as well as driver

training. The spare parts

availability is good and the

vehicles perform very well.

Ravji Bhai, MDRadheshiam Transport, Kenya

Special training schools for mechanics and drivers have been set up in several countries

· Gayatri Kamath with inputs from KC Sen, V Balakumaran, S Ghosh and Sandeep Bhaduria

Geneva

International

Motor Show

Tata Motors presented Tata Pixel,a new city car concept for Europe,

at the 81st Geneva Motor Show in

March 2011. Other Tata Motorsdisplays at the prestigious exhibition included Tata Aria, thefirst Indian four-wheel drivecrossover; Tata Indica Vista EVX, a special version of Tata IndicaVista EV, which participated in the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize contest; Tata Indigo Manza, one of IndiaÊsbest-selling sedans; and Tata Indica Vista, a top-selling hatch. At the showÊs Green Pavilion, Tata Motors exhibited the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle.

EVEN

TS

Chairman Ratan Tata and Tata Motors Group CEO Carl-Peter Forster at the show

The Tata Motors pavilion at the Geneva Motor Show

The show was an ideal setting to showcase the Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for European roads Strides

APRIL 201132

The Tata Motors team at the Geneva Motor Show

The passenger car display

The Tata Indica Vista is steadily gaining popularity in international markets

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Commercial

Vehicles Middle

East Show

Tata Motors exhibited the TataXenon, Tata Super Ace, Tata LP913 bus, Tata LPO 1618 StarbusSkool, and the Tata Prima tractorat the Commercial Vehicles Middle East Show in Mar ch2011. The three-day long showwas held at the Dubai International Exhibition centre. Itis the only event in the MiddleEast dedicated to commercial vehicles, parts and services. It showcases the best of the commercial vehicles in the region and serves as a platformfor manufacturers to interactwith key customers, networkwith industry peers and compare products and servicesfrom over 50 local and international exhibitors.

The Commercial Vehicles Middle East Show in Dubai

The stylish Tata Xenon

World-class buses and trucks from Tata Motors on display at Dubai

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Show of strength: The Tata Motors team along with channel partners and supporters

The Vista launch event at Turkey

The Vista has been positioned in the fuel economy segment in Turkey

Vista Launch in Turkey

Tata Vista, Tata Motors' latest offering, was unveiled in Turkey on January 14, 2011,at the Annual Dealer Convention in Istanbul. The event was attended by Tata Motors dealers and officials, includingJohnny Oommen, Head of Tata Motors International Business (Passenger Cars). The launch was backed with nationwide marketing campaigns such as customertest drives, shopping mall displays, media advertisements, a special micro website(www.tata-vista.com) to increase awareness, etc. Following the launch, Vista wasintroduced to the Turkish pressand journalists took the Vista fora test drive. The diesel Quadrajet version of the Vistahas been positioned in TurkeyÊsmost competitive B segment focusing on fuel efficiency and economy.

35StridesAPRIL 2011

Tata Motors participated inAutomechanika, the worldÊs leading business-to-business automotive aftermarket trade fair,at Johannesburg in March 2011for the first time this year. TheTata Motors team communicatedthe message of „Enduring relationship - excelling together‰to customers by showcasing Tata Motors customer supportfacilities across South Africa, theeasy availability of genuine spareparts, the reach of the customersupport network as well as thetraining initiatives for the skill development of the local community. Tata Motors vehicles,spare parts and working modelsof engines were also displayed at the fair.

Tata Motors in South Africa: An enduring relationship

Connecting with the customer

Tata Motors has built a strong customer support network across South Africa

AutoMechanikatrade fair

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36

PROD

UCT

SHOW

CASE

The Tata Aria combines the sportylook and toughness of an SUV, thecomfort and driveability of an MPV,and rough road and bad weather 4x4capability in a sleek vehicle. Designedto comfortably seat seven people, the Tata Aria provides a smooth, hassle-free drive under all road andweather conditions.

Tata Aria

Dimensions 4X4 4X2

Length (mm) 4,780 4,780

Width (mm) 1,860 1,860

Height (mm) 1,775 1,760

Engine 2.2 litre DiCOR, common rail, turbo diesel

Max engine power 103kW / 4,000rpm

Max torque 320Nm / 1,750-2,700rpm

w Fold flat , flexible seating

w Available in 4x4 and 4x2

w Driver, co-driver, side andinflatable curtain airbags

w ESP with TCS

w Navigation system

w Bluetooth-enabled

w Automatic rain sensing forwiper operation and speedcontrol

w Reverse parking aids(camera or ultrasonic)

w Cruise control

w Alloy wheels

Fe

atu

res

37StridesAPRIL 2011

Starbus: Edging outcompetitionThe stylish, contemporary and aesthetic design of the Starbus has capturedthe attention of bus operators globally. Various unique features have contributed to make it the ideal vehicle for city and long-haul operations, and to hold its own against competition

EXTERIOR

Aesthetic FRP front facewith high lux head lamps;large tinted sliding windows;large rear-view mirrors;600mm wipers; two wide,full glass, jack-knife doors;separate battery compartment; large rearluggage compartment; sleektail lamps; large rear windshield serving asemergency exit; full rearbumper

INTERIOR

Ergonomic, comfortable high-back seats with seatbelts; adjustable soft head flap; stylish hat rack; strap handles from grabrail; roof hatch; curtain rail and eight-speaker provision; CFL lighting; new stylish driver console with adjustable sun visor,sound- and heat-insulated bonnet and adjustable high-back seatwith seatbelt

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38

PROD

UCT

SHOW

CASE

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Earning per km(EPK)

Total fixedcost per km

Variable costper km

Cost per km(CPK)

Profit per km(PPK)

Tata Starbus is44% more

profitable thancompetitor bus

Tata LPO Starbus 1512

Competitor bus

A TATA STARBUS IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN COMPETITOR BUS

Starbus has demonstrated its capabilities over various terrains across the world,with significantly lower operational costs. The following is a graphicalrepresentation of the profitability of Starbus as compared to a competitorin Sri Lanka.

39StridesAPRIL 2011

FACT FILE

Components Technical details Advantage

EngineTurbo-charged Cummins 6 BT5.9/102mm/120mm

No additional fitting required, less costly when replacing

Horse power 125 HP at 2,400rpm Horse power optimised for stage carrier operations

Torque 42.3 Mkg @ 1,100-1,400rpmHigh torque at low revolutions per minute for easydriveability and less driving fatigue; ideal for city operations

Engine life Upto 5 lakh kilometres Lower overhauling cost, lower down time, no engine overheating failures

Clutch330 dia organic with clutchbooster

Less driver fatigue due to clutch booster

Gear box GBS 40 synchromesh Easy gear shifting, lower wear and tear

Performance Max speed 87kmphHigher top speed results in shorter trip time; more trips, more earnings

Indica Vista EVX once again proved itself a

winner when it won two awards in the Brighton

to London Future Car Challenge in November

2010. Indica Vista EVX (driven by Simon Clarke,

chassis and br aking engineer) won the awards in

the A1 and A2 category of Small Passenger EVs ·

A1 being the Most Economic Small Passenger EV

and A2 The Daily Telegraph newspaper sponsored

Most Economical and Environment-friendly Small

Passenger EV. Indica Vista EVX won against

competition from some of the worldÊs best car

manufacturers · categories A1 and A2 also

included the BMW MINI-e, Mitsubishi MiEV and

Smart EVs.

The Tata Motors European Technical Centre

(TMETC) had developed the Indica Vista EVX for the

Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE 2010, a

contest that attracts the best and the cleanest in

the automobile industry from around the world.

All the hard work put in by the TMETC team for

the X PRIZE competition proved invaluable in the

preparation and winning of the awards in the

Brighton to London Future Car Challenge. The

creative efforts of the TMETC team and the

superior performance of the Indica Vista EVX

together helped to chart the win in a milieu where

the worldÊs best OEMs were present, and which

afforded prominent media coverage.

The event, which is „a promotion and

demonstration of new clean-energy motor cars‰ and

„heralds tomorrowÊs pioneering technology‰, as the

organisers The Royal Automobile Club stated, has

been introduced for the first time in 2010. It is a

Green flag flying highIndica Vista EVX wins the Most Economic Small Passenger EV and

the Most Economical and Environment-friendly Small Passenger E V

awards in the Brighton to London Futur e Car Challenge

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40

Indica Vista EVX being flagged off

SPOTLIGHT

challenge for electric, hybrid and low-emission ICE

vehicles to use the lowest energy on a 60-mile

route from Madeira Drive, Brighton, to Pall Mall &

Regent Street, London.

As Matthew Burke, technical lead of the team for the

Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE 2010,

had said, TMETC had „demonstrated a

near-production-ready car that could actually be used

by a family in the real world rather than an esoteric

design concept‰. Indica Vista EVX has adequate

luggage space and is capable of carrying four

individuals with a predicted range of up to 200km

and acceleration of 0-60kmph in under 10 seconds.

With about 2 per cent of its turnover earmarked for

R&D annually, Tata Motors has been constantly

working towards introducing the Âtechnology of

tomorrowÊ in its products. Participation in the X

PRIZE contest and ÂBrighton to London Future Car

ChallengeÊ was an opportunity for the company to

pitch its green image prominently in the automobile

world and emerge with shining colours. Indica Vista

EVX has proved itself to be not just technically

equal to the worldÊs foremost car brands, but a

much-needed solution given the concerns of climate

change and environment in todayÊs world. �

41StridesAPRIL 2011

ECONOMY IN GREEN

Indica Vista EVX completed the journey from Brighton to

London at a highly economical energy cost of £1.35. This

compares very favourably to journey costs of £6.17 and

£4.80 for a similar-sized vehicle running on either a petrol

or diesel engine at standard energy prices. The 58-mile

route was completed with only a 36-per cent depletion of

the lithium ion phosphate batteries. This would give a

vehicle range of approximately 160 miles, producing an

efficiency- equivalent mileage of 176mpg plug to wheel.

While participating in the Progressive Insurance

Automotive X PRIZE 2010 contest, the Indica Vista EVX

pure electric vehicle had completed all on-track tests,

demonstrated fuel economy numbers well in excess of

100MPGe (miles per US gallon or, gasoline equivalent

energy) and passed all necessary requirements.

Tata Motors is constantly working towards

developing alternative fuel engine

technologies. It has manufactured CNG

version of buses and followed it up with a

CNG version of its passenger car, the Indica.

Racing ahead of competitors

The winning team with the Indica Vista EVX

· Shalini Menon

Doing business in a country like Afghanistan,

with its history of civil war and strife, is not

for the weak-hearted. Bomb blasts,

explosives-laden trucks blowing up government

installations and embassies, suicide attacks and

political uncertainties make it one of the most

difficult countries in the world to operate a business.

Tata Motors realised this early when it made a foray

into the land-locked nation. Routine activities such

as sales and marketing, brand-building and training,

that are part of normal business operations

anywhere in the world and are taken for granted,

were simply not possible in this strife-torn land.

The company, however, did not falter and decided to

take on the challenges through some out-of-the-box

strategies and unconventional methods that have

over the past decade helped it establish a strong

presence in Afghanistan. Tata Motors is today one of

the few original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to

have a distributor with a well-trained sales team,

workshops and a parts supply facility.

A LONG ASSOCIATIONIt was way back in 2002, when as part of an Indian

government assistance programme for Afghanistan,

Tata Motors stationed a representative for rendering

after-sales support for the buses and commercial

vehicles supplied to several government agencies,

including the ministries of transport, defense,

interiors, health, and the municipality of Kabul.

However, this came to a halt as the company was

compelled to pull its local representative out of the

country following bomb blasts and security issues.

It was a huge setback, but Tata Motors did not get

discouraged. Instead, it decided to find new ways of

operating in Afghanistan. The company recognised

the need for a strong and reliable partner already

established in the region, who could support its

interests and activities there.

What followed was a flurry of activities and

research to identify the right partner. A year later,

Tata Motors joined hands with the Bangkok-

headquartered RMA Group, a specialist provider of

automotive and other infrastructure solutions in

more than 30 emerging and post-conflict markets

around the world. With its wide-ranging experience

of working in post-conflict regions, RM Asia was the

best choice for distributorship, boosted by the fact

that it already had a presence in Afghanistan and

had a solid understanding of the region. Today, both

Tata Motors and RM Asia are among the few

pioneering enterprises doing business in

Afghanistan. Through the tie-up, RMA

Afghanistan began promoting Tata

MotorsÊ vehicles by focusing on fleet

sales, a strategy that allowed the

company to further its ties with the

Government of Afghanistan and build

connections with international

companies operating in the country.

CHASING CHALLENGESBut the continuing uncertainties in the

war-ravaged nation made it difficult to

carry out regular business activities. Not

the one to be daunted by the

An upward battleThe Afghanistan market has many unique challenges that include

security issues, unsafe trade routes and poor purchasing power. With

the strength of its partnership with RM Asia Afghanistan, Tata Motors

is looking to increase its presence in this strife-torn nation

SPOT

LIGH

T

43StridesAPRIL 2011

challenges, the company came up with

some unconventional solutions.

For instance, since Tata Motors

executives cannot travel freely in

Afghanistan, RM Asia hired expatriates

for sales and after-sales activities. The

executives are trained at the companyÊs

facilities in India, The distributor also

provides accommodation to the expats

within its premises and ensures

adequate security. And because these

executives cannot move freely outside

the offices, RM Asia has tied up with

local dealers, who act as sales and

service points for Tata MotorsÊ

customers. Thanks to the tie-ups,

customers do not have to travel all the

way to Kabul, the capital, for repairs and

servicing, which are provided at their doorstep.

Similarly, training cannot be imparted through

conventional sessions, so Tata Motors and RM Asia

have converted a 40-feet container, within the

distributorÊs high-security complex, into a training

centre for customers, especially fleet owners.

Investments in training locals to provide support to

Tata customers within the country and training fleet

customers on vehicle maintenance has proved an

effective engagement tool.

In Afghanistan, brand-building through conventional

media is simply not possible; so both Tata Motors

and RM Asia have had to depend on

unconventional methods including word-of-mouth

publicity, or building personal relationships with

customers through training programmes or fleet

rehabilitation activities. The two companies also

work closely with government agencies, fleet

customers and even NGOs, who often act as brand

ambassadors for Tata Motor brands. Ensuring

adequate supplies of spare parts, especially in a

war-ravaged land where attacks on vehicles are

common, is of utmost importance to win customer

loyalty and brand-building. But it is virtually

impossible to have spares warehouses across

Afghanistan. To get around the problem, RM Asia

has a well-stocked warehouse in Dubai, from

where they are air-freighted to Afghanistan, a short

distance away in terms of flying time.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGETo build its retail presence in Afghanistan, the joint

team of Tata Motors and RM Asia has analysed the

local competition to get a fix on tailoring the right

Tata product mix for this market. The main

competition is from the second-hand market, which

provides new vehicles at lalmost the same price

range. Today a range of Tata Motors vehicles ply on

Afghanistan roads. The first Tata vehicle that was

introduced in the market was the Telcoline pickup.

Next came light commercial vehicles (the LPT613

truck, LP613 bus and SFC407 bus) and heavy

commercial vehicles (Tata LPK1618 garbage

compactor and LPO1316). Tata buses now

dominate the local transportation scene in

Afghanistan. Recognising the substantial demand

for small commercial vehicles, RM Asia has now

decided to launch Tata Ace at a competitive price.

With a bigger retail presence, the company has

great expectations from the market.

GIVING BACK TO THE SOCIETYSince the beginning of Tata MotorsÊ association

with Afghanistan, the company has focused on

fostering a long-term relationship with the country

and, to further that effort, is working closely with

various government departments to explore ways

by which it can improve the quality of life for the

local people. Many other OEMs in Afghanistan

have been opportunistic, catering to large orders,

but ignoring the other needs of the nation. But

Tata Motors, along with its distributor and local

sales and after-sales network, is there for the

long haul.

As part of the Tata groupÊs philosophy to give back

to the community in which it operates, Tata Motors

supports training activities in Afghanistan. The

automobile section of Kabul Polytechnic was

renovated by Tata Motors in 2003 and supported

with training aggregates, literature and special

tools. Tata Motors is well poised to make

AfghanistanÊs drive down the highway of

development and growth a smoother one.£

· Shifra Menezes with inputs from Biswadev Sengupta, Sanjay Sharma, Sebastien Le Bihan

Tata Motors presented Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for

Europe, based on the Tata Nano, at the 81st Geneva Motor Show

Tata PixelSPOT

LIGH

T

The Tata Pixel, with ÂZero TurnÊ drive and an

innovative diamond-shaped door system, is

a new city car concept for Europe from Tata

Motors. Based on Tata Nano, Tata Pixel · at just

over 3m in length · is the most package-efficient

four-seater in the world, comfortably

accommodating four adults, unlike a typical city car

which is either a two-seater or can accommodate

two adults and two children only. Tata PixelÊs ability

to manoeuvre and park in the tightest of spaces is

made possible by its zero turn toroidal traction drive

Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT). This

highly efficient, cost-effective system

assists rotation of the outer rear

wheel forwards and the inner

rear wheel backwards during

low-speed manoeuvres,

while the front wheels

turn at acute angles.

The result is a turning

circle radius of just

2.6m.

The glass area on the

ÂscissorÊ doors

provides excellent

visibility even in the

most extreme turning manoeuvre. The ÂscissorÊ

doors rotate upwards from the front to allow

all four passengers to effortlessly enter or exit

Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces,

w Most package-efficient four-seater in

the world.

w ÂZero TurnÊ drive maximises

manoeuvrability when parking.

w Innovative ÂscissorÊ door system allows

entry and exit in the tightest of spaces.

w CO2 emissions of just 89g/km and

combined cycle fuel economy of

3.4 litres/100km.

StridesAPRIL 2011

44

while the doorsÊ large glass area provides

excellent visibility.

A forward sweeping roofline, with minimal front

and rear overhangs, accentuates the youthful

styling, while the window graphic features an

interchangeable island that can be used to change

the exterior appearance whenever desired.

Tata Pixel also introduces „My Tata Connect‰ ·

the first integrated human-machine interface (HMI)

concept from Tata Motors for its new generation

programmes. „My Tata Connect‰ enables

seamless integration of the userÊs smartphone or

tablet with the vehicleÊs infotainment system and

also allows controlling of key functions of the car.

This provides a customised, user-friendly, all-in-

one touch screen display, while also allowing

the driver to remain seamlessly connected to

the external world in much the same way as

they would be when at home or in the office,

listening to favourite songs, internet news

and sport or stock updates. In addition to

serving as the infotainment display when

docked in the instrument panel, the tablet

also allows temperature, ventilation and air-

conditioning settings to be adjusted through its

touch screen, as well as displaying information

on the vehicleÊs performance.

A 1.2 litre three-cylinder turbocharged diesel

engine positioned at the rear of Tata Pixel gives

lively performance. The engine is a low-friction

design, featuring variable coolant and oil pump

and rapid warm-up technologies. With optimised

aerodynamic drag, low rolling-resistance tyres,

stop-start technology, and intelligent battery

charging, Tata Pixel returns European combined

cycle (NEDC) fuel economy of 3.4 litres/100km

and CO2 emissions of just 89g/km. £

45StridesAPRIL 2011

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

1: 19452: 19543: 20054: 505: 50,000

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46

A comfortable rideEfe Ozman, a customer from Antalya, Turkey, speaks about hisimpressions of the Indica Vista and what made him choose the car

My Indica Vista is the successor to the Indica I drove for the last three years. It was the carÊs price-fuel correlation and efficiency and comfort that made me choose the Indica Vista. The new IndicaVista is a big improvement in terms of fuel efficiency, engine noise and vibration. The comfort features andthe interior design have undergone a complete change. The most impressive feature of the Indica Vista isthe driving comfort, which I experienced even during the test drive. The new suspension and handling hasa safe and confident feel to it.

For me, the car is more than a means of transportation · I use it for both work and leisure. It is importantthat my car should give my family and me a feeling of comfort and security, and suit me in design andstyle.

I would have liked the Indica Vista to have a telescopic steering column, because sometimes tilt steering is not enough to find the best driving position. I am completely satisfied with the after-sales service andcare provided by Antalya Ozkurlar Otomotiv with whom I have had a long relationship. They are alwaysthere when I need them.

INDICA VISTA: A FACT FILE

Comfort and convenience:

Engine Safire Petrol Quadrajet Diesel

Displacement /capacity

1,368cc 1,248cc

Max engine power(kW / R / min)

55kW / 6,000rpm 65kW / 6,000rpm

55kW / 4,000rpm66kW / 4,000rpm

Max torque(Nm / R / min)

114Nm / 3,250rpm 116Nm / 4,750rpm

190Nm / 1,750-3,000rpm 200Nm / 1,750-3,000rpm

Steering-mounted audio controls

Seat height adjustment

Tilt steering

Power windows: Front and rear

Music system with USB and Bluetooth

· Efe Ozman

CUST

OMER

SPE

AK

47StridesAPRIL 2011

Tata earns our respectSharonette Webb-Olivier of South Africa describes how her sturdyTata Indica took on the rough roads of the South African hinterlandand turned her road trip into a memorable holiday

Recently, we went on a holiday, on a road trip through South Africa, in our Tata Indica. Our car is not a luxury vehicle with air conditioner, electric windows or central locking, but we just wanted to let youknow how amazing it was.

We decided to drive from Cape Town to Beaufort West to Kroonstad to Hartebeespoort Dam to PelgrimsRest and through Kruger National Park. We stayed at Marloth Park, then drove on to Barberton, Clarens,the Golden Gate, Pietermaritzburg and on to Addo. From Addo, we just carried on driving straight throughto home.

On the way, we met people driving fancy 4x4s and air-conditioned cars, who couldnÊt believe that our little,no-frills, no-nonsense Tata Indica could go almost everywhere they went, and not give us any trouble! Wedrove around Ko-ka Tsara Bush Camp, Kroonstad, Phiri Bush Lodge, Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge, onKZN roads and the Wild Coast. We did damage the left front wheel on a terrible, potholed, gravel road overthe K river to Vrede.

Need I say anything about the fuel consumption · we travelled 450km for R250 on our 35-litre tank! Earlier we didnÊt want to drive anything butDaihatsu, but now we are converted. This little car has earned our respect,and has inspired many others!

· Sharonette Webb-Olivier, Head of OfficeHead of Department, Transport and Public Works, Western Cape

Model Indica LSi Indica LXi

Engine 1.4 litre MPFI

Max engineoutput

55.2 kW @4,500 rpm

63 kW @ 5,500 rpm

Max torque 110 Nm @3,000 rpm

115 Nm @3,000 rpm

Length x width x height (mm)

3,675 x 1,665 x 1,485

3,675 x 1,665x 1,500

Wheelbase (mm) 2,400

Tyre size 165 / 65R13 175 / 60R14

INDICA: A FACT FILE

A city of history, beautiful buildings and well-designed bridges,St Petersburg is an architectural treat

Avisit to St Petersburg, the city that Peter

the Great built on the shores of the Baltic

Sea, where the river Neva empties itself

into the Gulf of Finla nd, is like a passage into the

opulent Tsarist past of Russia. The gigantic

cathedrals, magnificent palaces and romantic

bridges make it an ideal holiday destination.

The city is in fact an architectural treat with its

collection of buildings in neoclassic, modern and

retrospective style. It is no wonder that the

historical centre of St Petersburg and its palaces

have made it to UNESCOÊs world heritage lists.

What makes St Petersburg fascinating is that it has

stood indomitable against history and human

destruction. The city has changed its name three

times: until 1914 it was St Petersburg; from 1914

till 1924 it was Petrograd; from 1924 to 1991 it was

Leningrad. In 1991, it received its original name of

St Petersburg.

St Petersburg has survived two great upheavals ·

during the Civil War and the Siege of Leningrad ·

which nearly decimated the population but left its

historical buildings almost untouched. After the

Russian Revolution, new construction was carried

out only on the outskirts of the city and a vast

number of residential stone buildings of the

pre-revolutionary period were preserved. Visiting the

old parts of the city · from Obvodny Canal to the

Bolshaya Nevka River and from Alexandro-Nevskaya

Lavra to the trading port · can transport one back

in history to the days before the revolution.

White nights inSt Petersburg

Palace Square, St Petersburg

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48

TRAV

EL A

ND L

IVIN

G

BRIDGING THE PASTThe bridges that crisscross the Neva river, the

number of which is enough to earn St Petersburg

the title of the 'European champion of bridges',

further enhance the architectural beauty of the city.

Neva, which forms one of St Petersburg's main

(water) thoroughfares, originates in the Ladoga Lake

and empties into the Baltic Sea. By night, the many

drawbridges across it are raised to allow steamers

and ships to pass through.

One of the must-see sights in the city is the Peter

and Paul fortress on the Neva delta, which attracts

hordes of tourists because of its unusual

elongated hexagonal shape. Peter the Great built it

to protect St Petersburg from an attack by the

Swedish military. The towering gilded cupola of St

Peter and Paul Cathedral, crowned by an angel,

stands out distinct as it rises from the middle of

the fort. A part of Russian history rests here as

the cathedral has served as the burial place for

Russian Tsars down the centuries.

Another popular destination is the historical centre of

the city, which sites the Palace Square with the

Winter Palace, the General Staff Building and various

government buildings. One can smell history as one

walks through the Winter Palace, once the official

residence of Tsars and a mute witness to some of

the most important events in Russian history such as

its storming during the Russian Revolution, the

Bloody Sunday massacre, etc. Now its numerous

rooms are filled with one of the greatest art

collections in the world, a large part of which was the

result of Catherine the Great's dedicated

efforts. The collection has more than three million

masterpieces of world culture from down

the centuries.

SHINING SHRINESOne of the most beautiful buildings in the city is

without doubt the St Isaac's Cathedral. Designed by

French architect Auguste de Montferrand, the

cathedral took 40 years to build. The gigantic

dimensions of the cathedral · it can accommodate

up to 13,000 visitors at a time · take one's breath

away. Although the exterior is not so remarkable,

the interior more than makes up for it, with its vivid

display of paintings and sculptures. The walls and

tapering columns of marble and granite from various

parts of Russia, inlaid with semi-precious stones,

Bridge over the Neva river

Dome of St Isaac's Cathedral, St Petersburg

49StridesAPRIL 2011

add a richness and ethereal beauty to the spiritual

surroundings that leaves one bereft of words.

The other cathedral that one should take time

out for a visit is the Kazan Cathedral dedicated to

Our Lady of Kazan on Nevsky Prospekt, the main

thoroughfare of St Petersburg. Modeled after

St PeterÊs Basilica in Rome, it is another piece

in Russia's imperial architectural mosaic and

history, and has played host to royal weddings,

masses and coronations.

"Nothing could be finer than Nevsky Prospekt, at

least not in St Petersburg, it is the be-all and

end-all. It positively gleams and sparkles · the

jewel of our capital!" wrote Nikolai Gogol of

Nevsky Prospekt, the main street of St Petersburg.

It derives its name from the Alexander Nevsky

Monastery that lies at one end of it. Nevsky

Prospekt is lined with cathedrals, theatres, elegant

shops, restaurants and the houses of wealthy, each

a piece of history, and has been a place to be seen

in since the Tsarist period.

MAGIC IN THE AIR

Any visit to St Petersburg would be incomplete

without a visit to Peterhof, the summer retreat of

Peter the Great, designated a UNESCO World

Heritage Site. The palaces, gardens and fountains

at Peterhof follow various architectural styles,

depending on the ruler who commissioned them.

Cooled by the sea, water cascades and the

innumerable fountains that have made Peterhof

famous over the world as the city of fountains, a

visit to the palace complex and gardens make for a

relaxing day.

Another unique experience in St Petersburg is the

white night. Being the world's northern-most city (it

is located at 59 degrees 57' North), in summer, the

sun does not go below the horizon long enough for

night to darken the sky; in fact street lighting is not

turned on during summer. That is one of the things

that make St Petersburg a must-visit for any world

traveler, especially during the dreamy, magical white

nights of summer. £

Tree plantation programmes involving villagers and Tata Motors employees have turned acres ofbarren land green around Tata Motors plants and proved havens for migratory birds.

The fountains and cascades at PeterhofNevsky Prospekt, the main street in St Petersburg

Kazan Cathedral, St Petersburg

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50

· Irena Melkunova

MATCH THE COLUMNSS' APPEAL!

The first car launched by Tata Motors

A Tata bus is featured on thepostal stamp of this country

The first Tata truck was exported here

What's better than an Ace?

More than a thousand Tatabuses have gone to this country

A rather sporty vehicle

SAFARI

SAUDI ARABIA

SEYCHELLES

SIERRA

SRI LANKA

SUPER ACE

HIGH F

IVE!

1: Tata Motors was set up in

2: The first Tata truck came out in

3: The Ace was launched in

4: Number of years of international business

5: Number of commercial vehicles exported

2

1

3 4

5

For answers. turn to page 45