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Cynthia
Rodrigues
Pathbreaking R&D and imaginative
promotion have combined to transform one man's dream
— the Indica — into India's second-largest
selling car
It
was in December 1998 that the Indica, India's car, captured
the imagination of the nation. Prior to this, no other
car in India could lay claim to being indigenously designed
and manufactured. It catapulted India into an elite
group of just 10 nations that have manufactured their
own car.
The 1990s saw remarkable developments
in the Indian automobile industry. The Indian economy
opened up and global car giants like General Motors,
Ford, Fiat, Hyundai, Toyota etc moved in. The market
experienced the thrill of robust growth even as a slew
of new cars, international entrants, rang in good times
for both buyers and sellers. From having no choice at
all, the consumer was suddenly spoiled for choice. A
seller's market had morphed into a buyer's market. It
was in this exciting milieu that the Indica made its
debut.
The challenge was heightened
but so was the triumph. Within a short span, the Indica
managed to command a significant market share of 24
per cent and positioned itself among the three top selling
models in the country. No one doubted its capabilities.
Tata Motors Chairman Ratan Tata had once said: "We'll
have a car with the Zen's size, the Ambassador's internal
dimensions, the price of a Maruti 800 and the running
cost of diesel." Indica went on to live up to the
Chairman's cherished dream.
Its launch gave India the distinction
of being the only third-world country to embark upon
such a project without accessing any licensed technology.
It was an honour that not even China, the 'factory of
the world', could stake claim to.
Everything about the Indica was
pathbreaking; a pioneering attempt. In a market in which
foreign makes of cars ruled, Indica proved that it was
possible for an Indian car to successfully compete with
them as well as be seen as the best in its class. The
ultimate testimony to its superiority came from the
fact that 115,000 fully-paid orders were booked within
seven days of its launch, a feat that remains unmatched
in the history of the Indian automobile industry.
It wasn't long before the Indica
firmly established itself as the people's favourite.
In 2001, the Indica became the fastest-selling automobile
in Indian history when it chalked up sales of 100,000
in less than 18 months. The makers of the car worked
with concepts of space, power, style, economy and safety
to produce a car that offered a pleasant ride and a
great handling experience. The rigid 980-kg steel body
was rigorously tested at India's first and only crash
test facility. A collapsible steering wheel, impact
absorbing bumpers, anti-submarine seats, crumple zones
and side impact beams are some of the features that
make the Indica one of the safest cars on the road today.
Recognition followed swiftly.
Business Standard named the Indica 'one of the
top launches of the year 1998'. Trade magazine Auto
India gave it the Best Family Car award. BBC
Wheels declared it the 'best car in the Rs 3 to
Rs 5 lakh price category'. The JD Power Asia Pacific
2003 India Customer Satisfaction Study named the Indica
Diesel the best in the operating costs category, some
notches ahead of the Maruti 800!
NFO Automotive India awarded
it the Voice of the Customer Award in the best diesel
small car category. It also stated that the Indica had
the lowest cost of ownership across all segments in
the industry. Additionally, in its 2003 annual survey
of used cars, NFO Automotive said the Indica had the
best resale value in the small diesel car category.
Appreciation also came in from
far-flung places in the UK, Portugal, Spain, Italy and
Malta. The Motoring Writers' Yearbook of the UK called
the Indica a 'hero of the Indian auto industry'.
The toast of nearly 4,57,000
proud owners in India, besides about 25,000 people in
different parts of the world, Indica's positioning statement
of 'More Car per Car' encapsulated the uniqueness of
its offering. The advertising campaign capitalised wonderfully
on the basic human tendency to want 'more'. This word,
which had almost become synonymous with the Indica,
prompted the Tata Motors Passenger Car Business Unit
(PCBU) to come up with the Indica V2, a model that took
off on the success of the original Indica. The move
helped the car to hold its own in an increasingly competitive
market.
Lines such as: "You'll never
have to suffer a small car again" helped prospective
customers to differentiate between the Indica and other
available choices, apart from establishing the Indica's
leadership. The campaign for the Indica V2, "It's
only human to want more", followed. The advertisements
helped reinforce the new positioning statement "Even
More Car per Car."
A truly outstanding product coupled
with smart advertising enabled the Indica to carve out
its own space in an already overcrowded market and to
announce the triumphant entry of India on the global
automobile stage. Its user-friendly characteristics
have endeared it to the tremendously value-conscious
Indian. Not surprisingly, the Indica has been identified
as a superbrand by the UK-based Superbrands organisation.
It has also been recognised as one of the strongest
and most enduring brands of the last decade.
That a company which started
out being a truck and utility vehicle manufacturer has
been able to craft one of the greatest success stories
of our times in its very first passenger car venture
makes the feat even more commendable. Indica has taken
Tata Motors to the position of the second largest player
in the Indian passenger vehicles market. It is good
news for the company as also for the Indian customer,
to whom the Indica has made true its promise of 'More
Car per Car'.
Uploaded
on October 13, 2005
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