Tata Motors revs up overseas plan
Business Standard — September 4, 2003

Tata Motors has penned an overseas plan for its commercial vehicles business including setting up of manufacturing units or assembly lines in a few countries and tying up with dealers in some others.

It has also set a target of increasing turnover from exports from the present 8-9 per cent to around 15-20 per cent in the next three-four years.

Tata Motors director (commercial vehicle unit) Ravi Kant told reporters on the sidelines of the SIAM annual convention here today that the company has identified over a dozen overseas markets including South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Malaysia, among others, for its overseas push.

Exports, which contribute 8-9 per cent to the company’s net sales, would go up to 15-20 per cent once this ambitious plan fructifies, he said.

"In big cities public transportation is going to play a key role as the World Bank is granting aids to countries to change the transportation systems which are now congested and is causing pollution. We see a huge opportunity for ourselves here. We will be selling mainly buses in about a dozen countries," he said.

Apart from buses, Tata Motors would also be selling pick-up vehicles in these markets, he said.

Ravi Kant said commercial vehicles are being launched in Malaysia shortly and some buses have already been sold in Sri Lanka.