Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will begin local production of its iconic Range Rover and Range Rover Sport models in India. The development marks the first time in the models’ 54-year history that they will be produced outside the UK. Previously, Range Rover models were manufactured exclusively at JLR’s Solihull plant in the UK and exported to 121 markets worldwide, including India.
This strategic move to localize production aims to increase the affordability of these luxury SUVs and reduce their prices by around 18-22 percent.
Tata Group chairman N. Chandrasekaran praised Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata for integrating the JLR brand into the Tata family 15 years ago. Expressing confidence in the expansion of domestic sales, he said: Making a Range Rover in India is a special moment, it is a proud milestone.
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Rajan Amba, Managing Director, JLR India, highlighted the significance of the move, saying, “For the first time, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will be manufactured in India. Given their flagship status, this is a huge announcement for us.” He said the potential market expansion due to lower prices results from local assembly that would take advantage of favorable tariff structures.
JLR India’s retail sales grew 81 percent to 4,436 units last fiscal. Amba has announced ambitious plans to double this number in three years using Tata Group’s innovative products and ecosystem.
The locally produced Range Rover Sport will be available for delivery in August at a reduced price of Rs 1.4 billion, down from Rs 1.9 billion. Similarly, the Range Rover Autobiography version available from the end of this month will cost Rs 2.6 lakh, while the current price is Rs 3.3 lakh.
JLR’s Pune plant, which currently assembles the Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Evoqua, Jaguar F-PACE and Discovery Sport, will now produce a total of six models. The plant has an installed capacity of approximately 10,000 units per year.
