New Delhi: Tata Motors has transformed the way India perceives car safety, turning it into a benchmark for the entire auto industry. In this candid conversation, Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd., discussed the brand’s safety philosophy, after-sales challenges, upcoming Sierra, and the company’s EV, global expansion plans and more with Zee News Digital’s Lakshya Rana. Excerpts:
Question: Tata Motors has made safety a badge of honor in India, moving beyond compliance to set new benchmarks. What cultural and business shift enabled this transformation, and how do you measure its tangible impact on consumer trust and industry competition?
Vivek Srivatsa: Our philosophy has always been about solving real-world problems. From the very beginning, Tata Motors never believed in just bringing whatever is available internationally. We try to understand the Indian consumer and their specific needs and then solve them.
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Unfortunately, India has become known for extremely poor traffic conditions. We are, by far, the road accident capital of the world, and that’s not a good statistic. So we thought that we may not be able to make everyone drive better, but at least we can be preventive. Around 2016–17, when features like ADAS were unheard of, we focused on reactive safety – making the car much safer in case of an accident.
That’s how our safety journey began. Since then, there’s enough evidence that Tata Motors cars have saved many lives. This was possible because of our strong values and engineering team, who managed to deliver high safety standards without significantly increasing costs.
We started with the Nexon, and now almost all our SUVs are either BNCAP or GNCAP 5-star rated. Even our hatchback, Altroz, has achieved a 5-star rating. I think this philosophy has brought safety into the customer’s buying criteria. Earlier, buyers looked at wheel size, sunroof size, or screen size – and were willing to pay for those features. Now, safety has become part of that list.
Earlier, safety used to be priority number eight or nine in new car buyer surveys (NCBS). Over time, it has moved up to number three. It has become a significant factor in purchasing decisions. And yes, we also take some credit for making our competitors aware of this. While they may have started from a competitive standpoint, the ultimate beneficiary is the Indian consumer. Today, cars on Indian roads are much safer. Of course, we also hope traffic conditions improve.
These (safe cars) are not battle tanks. Customers should understand that even in a safe car, they must drive safely.
Question: Your upcoming product, the Tata Sierra, has been frequently spotted during testing. Will the ICE version be launched first or the EV? And could you share something exclusive about it?
Vivek Srivatsa: We have publicly announced that the Sierra will be a multi-powertrain car. It will come with petrol, diesel, as well as EV options. Since you want something special, I’ll say this: before the end of this calendar year, you’ll hear something about the Sierra. The timing of launches across powertrains will depend on our production capabilities and how fast we can ramp up. That decision will be taken closer to launch. But yes, before the end of the calendar year.
Question: What kind of customer base is Tata Sierra being targeted at?
Vivek Srivatsa: Sierra has always been a lifestyle vehicle. It’s meant for someone who wants to make a statement – “I’m a certain kind of person.” In the past, lifestyle vehicles didn’t become mainstream family cars because they weren’t practical or comfortable to drive. Sierra will change that. It will be stylish, aspirational, yet practical and comfortable. It will offer a perfect balance of statement, safety, and everyday usability.
It will attract a wide range of customers from young buyers to 60-year-olds, from those who want performance to those who prefer comfort and ease of driving. It will have something for everyone, features, powertrains, and practicality.
Question: Tata Motors has seen strong sales recently, but after-sales service is often questioned. What is the company doing to address this?
Vivek Srivatsa: The first step is to acknowledge that after-sales needs improvement, and we have. We realized this around three years ago. We’ve grown from a 4% market share to nearly 14% in just 4-5 years, but our service network didn’t expand at the same pace.
We’re addressing this by increasing service capacity, which includes adding new service centers and service bays. We have also opened service training centers across the country to accelerate skill development. Another focus area is improving spare parts availability. We’ve significantly enhanced inventory planning so that parts are readily available when cars come in. In the top 16 markets, we’re adding over 600 service bays and 25 new centers.
We’re already seeing results on the ground. It’s a gradual process, but within a year, you’ll see major improvement. Our goal is not just to fix the problem but to become the best in the industry and turn this perception into a positive.
Question: What are Tata Motors’ global expansion plans?
Vivek Srivatsa: That’s a timely question. We entered South Africa on August 19. We’re focusing on right-hand-drive markets. Apart from South Africa, we have UK and Australia as potential countries to explore. We are still looking at the possibility of what cars and who will be our partners. We’re also present in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius. Our cars have received excellent feedback in South Africa for design, safety, and performance. We’re very optimistic about our international expansion.
Question: Tata Motors once held nearly 80% of India’s EV market, but now stands around 37–38%. Why this decline, and what’s the plan to regain market share?
Vivek Srivatsa: Honestly, 80% market share was never sustainable. That’s near monopoly level. It wasn’t healthy for the market. Now, with more competitors entering, customers are comparing options. Almost the top 5-6 companies have introduced their product (EVs) in the market. People can now get a realistic idea of what the competition is and what international EV products look like, and all that.
The market share is arithmetic, too. As others increase sales, your share drops. But we’re seeing renewed demand. Our EVs – Harrier.EV, Nexon.EV, Curvv.EV – are getting a great response. Customers now realize Tata EVs offer the best mix of range, features, and price.
We aim to maintain around 50% market share, which is strong and sustainable. In the ICE world, the market leader is at a 38%-40% market share after so many years. So, it is a similar situation.
We’ve also been hit by reduced fleet demand after the FAME subsidy was removed for four-wheelers. Fleet used to account for 20% of our EV sales; now it’s down to 5-10%. In the fleet category, we continue to have 70% market share.
In short, competition has intensified, but for Indian conditions, Tata Motors still offers the best value. We’re confident of bouncing back to a steady 50% market share soon.
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