Jaguar Land Rover cars in India in June 2009

British luxury car maker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), now owned by India’s own automotive major Tata Motors, will introduce its premium brands in the Indian market by next month.

Jaguar Land Rover is eyeing the Indian car mart owing to the fact that the Indian economy has still been performing reasonably well. The company believes that it would be able to offer its premium products to a whole new group of customers in India.

Jaguar Land Rover cars in India are not going to be cheap – but then no one is expecting that either.

The decision to come to India is seen as an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover. This because it would enable the company to realise its competitive potential in the Indian car mart.

Jaguar Land Rover’s first showroom is expected to open at Mumbai’s Ceejay House in Worli in June. The import and sales of JLR cars will be managed by Tata Motors’ newly-formed luxury car division. Jaguar and Land Rover were acquired by Indias Tata Motors from American carmaker Ford last March for 1.7 billion pounds.

The luxury cars will be imported by Tata Motors and will be sold through its sales and dealership network. The initial lineup will include the Jaguar XF, and Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover models. According to a report, the India debut comes at a time when JLR, with production facilities at Halewood, Solihull and Castle Bromwich in Britain, has been hit by the recession in Europe and is seeking a 800 million pound rescue package from the British government. The company, which has a workforce of over 15,000, has retrenched 450 workers this year and is looking at 198 voluntary retirements in its managerial team to cut costs.

The company will see the India entry as a natural move for both businesses and will allow Jaguar and Land Rover to establish a strong and deserved presence in the country. Tata Motors officials said that the company is very pleased to provide the opportunity for Indian customers to access the premium products for the first time.