MOTORINDIA had a casual chat with Mr. Karl Slym, Managing Director, Tata Motors, on the sidelines of the Safari Storme launch function. Tata Motors is the market leader in the Indian CV segment with a market share of over 60 per cent.
In the passenger car segment, it has grown to become one of the leading players in the domestic market.
The new face at the helm of India’s largest automotive company is supremely confident that the company’s long-term strategy would strengthen its market presence in both the commercial vehicle segment and the passenger car business.
Excerpts from the chat:
On short-term plans: “It is important for us to maintain our strong presence in the domestic market and also strengthen our international operations. We want to improve people’s perception of the quality of our products. We need to ensure that the customer knows the quality of Tata products, and we will do this with new products.”
On competition: “We see the emerging competition as an opportunity for growth. We will only start looking at ourselves more diligently and try not to get complacent. It is important for us to check our product portfolio and development, and overall, the intelligence of what strategy will be following in the future.”
On global markets: “We are a global player and have huge aspirations for the international market. When we enter a new market, we need to get the strategy right depending on the business model in the market.”
On long-term vision: “In commercial vehicles, we have our leadership position to maintain. In the passenger vehicle segment, we would like to become a strong No.2 in the market. We have international capabilities, and we have to make sure that we build a strong platform to reach our targets. We have a great brand and we will let people enjoy the brand.”