Tata Motors to lead transition towards electric mobility: N Chandrasekaran

Tata Motors is committed to leading the transition towards electric mobility in the country and it looks to closely work with other group entities to create a viable environment for green vehicles, group chairman N Chandrasekaran said. Chandrasekaran in the Tata Motors’ Annual Report for 2018-19 said that electric vehicles are necessary for India.

“Your company is committed to take the lead in this transition and work with other companies in the Tata ecosystem to help create a viable environment to drive adoption of electric vehicles,” he said in his message to shareholders. He, however, cautioned that this transition has to be well planned with the government and industry working together to ensure that ecosystem is developed, incentives are provided to stimulate demand and sustainability goals are achieved by implementing emission norms across the value chain.

In order to promote electric mobility, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced various measures in the Budget yesterday, including Rs 1.5 lakh additional income tax deduction on loan taken to purchase EVs. Elaborating on the overall challenges before the auto major going ahead, Chandrasekaran said the next few years are going to be decisive for Tata Motors.

“We have to focus on strong operational excellence to deliver positive cashflows while making the right investments to be prepared for the future,” he added.

The company needs to transform itself to be relevant in the world of future mobility, Chandrasekaran said. “This will require us to form partnerships, develop mobility solutions and optimise our investment in the process,” he added.

In the commercial vehicle segment, where Tata Motors remains industry leader, Chandrasekaran said the company needs to grow and secure sustainable cashflow from the business and ensure smooth transition to BS VI emission norms. The growth in the commercial vehicle market is likely to pick-up driven by increased infrastructure spending, growth of new-age industries like e-commerce and further progress in the hub and spoke model of distribution, he added.

“In the passenger vehicle segment, your company needs to enhance its sales and service offering which is a key to growth in volumes and execute its plan to achieve profitability at PBT level,” he added.

Chandrasekaran added that Indian auto market is expected to emerge as the world’s third largest passenger vehicle market by 2021, driven by the underlying economic growth, increasing consumption demand and mass urbanisation. “However, in the short to medium term, the sector faces some challenges due to the ongoing credit crunch, low consumer spending and the transition from BS IV to BS VI emission norms by April 1, 2020,” he added.

Commenting on Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Chandrasekaran said the company is taking steps to cut costs while taking a calibrated approach towards future investment in the product portfolio. The company, which is facing slowdown in sales across regions, is actively looking at partnerships and prioritising its investments while ensuring that it is not compromising its future, he noted. “These are critical interventions and JLR is committed to deliver cost and cash improvements,” Chandrasekaran said.