Tata Motors, which bought the marquee UK automobile brands earlier this year, has firmed up plans to develop a new platform for Land Rover to boost the prospects of the company.
Tata Motors, the world's fifth-largest medium and heavy truck-maker and the second-largest heavy bus manufacturer, plans to develop a new platform for the Land Rover stable to win defence orders from Europe, China, Russia and India, sources familiar with the development said.
"We have plans for the defence sector and are looking for defence deals from overseas and also from India," Ravi Kant, managing director, Tata Motors, told Business Standard recently. He declined to give further details.
Land Rover, with nearly 60 years' experience, provides armed forces around the globe with light vehicles designed to meet a wide range of defence and peace-keeping roles.
The standard defence vehicle in the Land Rover stable is based on the Defender heavy-duty 4x4 platform.
The military versions of Defender are based on the civilian version, having the same basic chassis, powertrain, axles and bodywork.
Tata Motors has also been providing defence solutions including armoured trucks for over five decades.
The company has so far supplied over 10,000