Tata Motors on Saturday said its first ‘Indica’ model cars will reach Britain later this month, providing a major thrust in the drive by India’s leading automaker to boost exports, and announced plans for expanding its operations in Malaysia which will be a launching pad for its penetration of the ASEAN market, reports PTI.

Announcing the company’s Malaysia plans Ravi Kant, Executive Director (Commercial Vehicles Business Unit) Tata Motors, told reporters at the KL International Motor Show that besides an increase of sales in existing product segments in Malaysia. Tata’s immediate targets include sale of pick-up trucks and sports utility vehicle ‘Safari’ and launch of ‘Indica’ and ‘Indigo’ in about a year.

“Currently our main thrust is going to be on pick-up trucks followed by Safari and passenger cars. That is the progression we are going to have in Malaysia,” Kant said.

The company aims to sell about 2000 units in Malaysia in a year. But that pales by the side of the 100,000 hatch back Indica models which Tatas had agreed to supply to UK-based MG Rover over the next four years.

The auto company currently gets only about 8 per cent revenue from exports. “But it should increase substantially because we recently tied up with Rovers of UK to supply them over 100,000 cars over the next four years. In fact the first batch will start in September and the vehicle will be launched in a couple of months there,” said Kant.