[dZired]

Recent media reports suggest that Jaguar Land Rover India is mulling over the chances to manufacture Land Rover SUVs in India. Currently, JLR assembles its Sedans and SUVs from imported kits at a plant outside Pune. With local production, JLR will be able to place its products at a more aggressive price tag.

The British automaker is also in talks with its component suppliers about the feasibility of developing a mini version of the Land Rover Defender for the Indian market. The company is currently undergoing internal discussions about these plans, while a small team of JLR engineers has contacted its component vendors about the quality and cost of components for domestic production. If these plans do materialize, the mini Defender will be launched in India by 2019-20. It will likely be manufactured at Tata Motors' Pune plant.

JLR has acknowledged the fact that Indian customers are showing a significant inclination towards SUVs in the luxury segment. This is the customer section that the company is targeting through the locally produced mini Defender.

Jaguar Land Rover has been introducing new products placed in the entry-level section of its portfolio. The Jaguar XE sedan and the Range Rover Evoque have helped the automaker to expand its footprint in the global as well as Indian car market. The mini Defender might further help the Tata motors owned automaker to achieve its target of a million sales annually.

Source: ET Auto

[GTO]

Fantastic! This just had to happen one day. Owned by Indians, build in India. Of course, Jaguar-Land Rover will always build cars in the UK, but India will also emerge as a destination to build (for the local market) as well as export. Right now, they are merely assembling cars - I expect a higher level of import content once this new plant comes up.

Good move in shrewdly sharing it with the press years in advance. That way, purists won't be in for a 'shock' when it actually happens.

Ever since Tata bought out Jaguar-Land Rover, they have started opening international factories (China, Brazil, Slovakia) for cost benefits. UK labour is too expensive and now with it exiting the EU, inconvenient too.

I hope to finally see well-priced Jaguar-Land Rover cars in India. They're all punching above their weight right now.

[14000rpm]

There is more to this move to India angle. JLR design centre in UK has been working with, amongst others, a Tata Engineering services div. for all Body design and engineering, Body-in-white design as well as Manufacturing Engineering services. However, soon, if not already, there would be a captive design centre setup by JLR much like GM, Daimler, Ford etc. could we soon see a designed and manufactured in India JLR product up for global market? who knows.

info is from Credible source who works with JLR in UK

[abhinavsureka]

Can't wait for it to launch in India. Waited 3 years for the Wrangler too but its best not to talk about that :(

The Defender is among the last from the breed of purely mechanical SUVs and has a huge fanbase in India. Even SUVs like the Pajero Sport are getting more and more electronic with every new generation.

I hope this rumour is a fact and we get the Defender in our showrooms soon.

[Jeeper1941]

Great news! Maybe they'll re-start production of the Defender. It is no longer being sold by Land Rover.

http://www.landrover.co.uk/vehicles/defender/index.html

Interestingly, the Defender is not even featured on the Land Rover India website:

http://www.landrover.in/index.html?_...478.1473251869

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by GTO

Fantastic! This just had to happen one day. Owned by Indians, build in India. Of course, Jaguar-Land Rover will always build cars in the UK, but India will also emerge as a destination to build (for the local market) as well as export. Right now, they are merely assembling cars - I expect a higher level of import content once this new plant comes up.

Good move in shrewdly sharing it with the press years in advance. That way, purists won't be in for a 'shock' when it actually happens.

Ever since Tata bought out Jaguar-Land Rover, they have started opening international factories (China, Brazil, Slovakia) for cost benefits. UK labour is too expensive and now with it exiting the EU, inconvenient too.

I hope to finally see well-priced Jaguar-Land Rover cars in India. They're all punching above their weight right now.

India is probably the last Bastion left of the Brit Colonial hangover. And we do have a wonderful manufacturing culture and inherent ability.
We, sadly have just neglected it, as compared to China.
Think on it, most young engineers rush to Software in preference to Civil, Mechanical, Metallurgical, Automobile etc - that is really so sad.
However, our latent talent pool is strong and our engineering discipline and rigour is also strong.
Hence, I am 100% sure we will easily be able to build a first class "Defender" vehicle out here in India.
After all, if Santana of Spain can do it and Otokar in Turkey can do it (official LandRover Licensees), I am absolutely sure that we in India can - and the best part is that an Indian company owns the Land Rover brand now. There is no way we'll let that fact down! (I Pray!)

If Mr Behram Dhabhar had been around, I am sure he would have loved to work on the Defender...but God quickly takes away those he loves most and I am sure Mr Dhabhar must be sitting around in the Great Workshop in the Sky, making 4WD vehicles for the angels to play with!