The VolkswagenCorporation and Indian automaker Tata want to cooperate. Both companies have now signed a corresponding letter of intent. The aim of the collaboration is to develop common components and vehicles for the Indian subcontinent. Project management within the VW group is carried out by the Czech subsidiary Skoda.
The cooperation should make it easier for Volkswagen to enter the Indian market. So far, the Wolfsburg-based company has not been able to gain a foothold in the growth region, mainly because there is no real cheap car in the large product portfolio. Earlier attempts at a corresponding alliance with the Suzuki group, which is strong in India, failed.
The Tata Group is one of the largest corporations on the subcontinent, the automotive subsidiary Tata Motors is one of the most important car manufacturers in the country alongside Maruti-Suzuki, Hyundai and Mahindra. In Europe, Tata is best known as the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover and as the manufacturer of the small car Nano. When it was launched on the market, the model was considered the cheapest car in the world. (Holger Holzer / SP-X)