Tata Motors' plan to establish Tamil Nadu as an export hub for electric vehicles (EVs) from Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is on track, with the company expected to lay the foundation stone for the Rs 90 billion project by September. This will mark the first time a premium vehicle will be fully manufactured in India rather than assembled.

The facility is expected to become operational within 12-18 months following the groundbreaking. The company has secured over 400 acres near Panapakkam, Ranipet district. This site will connect Hosur and Chennai, forming part of the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor. The strategic location, approximately 90 km from Chennai, offers proximity to both Chennai and Ennore ports.

A source indicated that a typical greenfield project in this sector takes about 12-18 months to complete, suggesting this project will likely be finished by late 2025 or early 2026. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin is anticipated to lay the foundation stone.

A Tata Motors official mentioned that the decision on what will be manufactured at the unit is yet to be finalized. Business Standard previously reported that Tata Motors plans to produce ?Made in India? models based on the Electrified Modular Architecture (EMA) from JLR for export, as well as Tata EVs based on the EMA architecture. Specific details of these models remain undisclosed.

Recently, French automaker Citroen also began exporting EVs made in India to international markets. In terms of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, JLR?s facility in Pune manufactures completely-knocked-down (CKD) units of models such as Range Rover Velar, Evoque, Jaguar F-PACE, and Discovery Sport, and has now added Range Rover and Range Rover Sport to its production line.

Industry experts believe Tata Motors will likely utilise the existing ecosystem of Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) and Renault Nissan Automotive India, alongside their own suppliers.

?The existing ecosystem can easily diversify to meet Tata Motors-JLR standards. The state is also working to provide the right ecosystem and policies to suit original equipment manufacturers and vendors,? said an industry source.

The Tata Motors project is considered a vital link in the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, one of India?s five upcoming mega-industrial corridors. The Bengaluru-Chennai expressway and Bengaluru-Chennai Dedicated Freight Corridor are key infrastructure projects expected to enhance connectivity along the corridor. The expressway, with an investment of around Rs 180 billion, is expected to be completed by December, according to central government estimates, reducing travel time between Hoskote in the Bangalore Metropolitan Region and Sriperumbudur in the Chennai Metropolitan Area.

?The industrial belts in this region are well diversified, ranging from the automobile sector in Sriperumbudur, India?s EV hub in Hosur, the leather industry in Vellore, to the upcoming footwear hub in Panapakkam,? added the industry source. (Source: Business Standard)