Tata to assemble Land Rover in India

After turning around the fortunes of the iconic Land Rover, Tata Motors on Tuesday said that it plans to start assembling the high-end SUV in India from next year.

"We have seen a good response in India for our Land Rover vehicles. We will start assembling them in India from next year," Jaguar Land Rover's Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Speth,said.

Jaguar Land Rover was taken over by the home-grown Ratan Tata-spearheaded Tata Motors for $2.3-billion from Ford Motor Company in 2008.

Besides India, the company also found the Chinese market responsive to the Land Rover.

"China is a good market for our Land Rover vehicles. We are looking to increase our market penetration in China, India and other developing countries," he said.

The company also plans to start an assembly line for its luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover Jaguar in China.

"We are looking for strong joint venture partners to start assembly-line operations for our Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) brands in China, which has emerged as the third-largest global market for Land Rover," Speth said.

However, he did not give any time-frame for starting the assembly-line in China.

"We are facing a shortage of engines and working with Ford to boost supplies," he said.