Rohit Suri, President & MD, Jaguar Land Rover India, on how local manufacturing will drive growth
By Jayashree Kini-Mendes
CALL IT A STROKE OF LUCK. JUST WHEN WE decided to feature an MNC premium auto company that used to import its cars into India, they announced plans to manufacture in the country.
In a kind of Stop Press! interview, our cover story this month is Jaguar Land Rover India (JLRIL) and we speak to its president & MD Rohit Suri, who was still beaming after the recent announcement of commencing local manufacturing of the all-new sedan, Jaguar XF, at its Pune plant. Since it was launched in India in 2010, the sedan was imported from the UK as a fully-built unit and it was only in January 2013 that the company began assembling the sedan at its facility in Chakan, Pune.
Suri says, “We clearly see our parentage in India as a great plus. There is an immense trust and respect for the Jaguar Land Rover brand. The Tata brand has had a great effect on the brand’s journey in India. Having said that, I think the Jaguar and Land Rover brands have now established their own iconic status and position in the market, and stand clearly on their own strength.”
Mechanically, the company has ensured that the locally-assembled cars are the same as the imported ones. The all-new Jaguar XF will be available in a 2.0L (litre) Ingenium diesel engine with a power output of 132kW and a 2.0L petrol engine with a power output of 177kW. However, the equipment list across the range (Pure, Prestige and Portfolio) has gone through some inclusions and exclusions.
In pole position
When you are a maker and seller of premium vehicles, there are certain things you need to get right when operating in the Indian market. The Indian management of Jaguar Land Rover India has acted wisely by first understanding its buyers. Suri says, “We decided to stick to the basics of automobile business and here it means serving the customer reliably. What helps to sell a brand or a product is aiding a customer’s experience in the purchase or after-sales, and letting him feel good about the choice. My experience of 25-years-plus in the automotive business has convinced me that this is the most important task at hand.”
It is precisely for this reason that Jaguar Land Rover India decided to source parts locally to reduce cost and boost competitiveness in India. Gone are the days when MNC automobile makers shrank from sourcing local content for their cars in India. In keeping with this, Jaguar Land Rover too has moved to local manufacturing of the XJ, XF and the XE models.
Next in line was establishing an after-sales service network that meets international benchmarks. While Suri is confident about the vehicles that his company puts on the road, it is always assuring to know that even the smallest customer complaint can be handled easily and quickly. He adds, “We have one of the most modern parts warehouse in Mumbai. We have made significant investments to attain a high level of parts availability.”
A portfolio of a number of models in one’s kitty only multiplies the number of parts for a single car. Suri doesn’t fail to remind us that Jaguar and Land Rover are two separate brands and that within the brand, there are several models and variants in India. “We have 4-5 unique models for Land Rover. So the breadth of parts requirement is extremely high. In spite of this complexity, we ensure prompt availability of parts. The parent company has been supportive and have made investments in post-sales support before anything else,” adds Suri.
The confidence to build and repair also comes through the creation of strong in-house technical training that enables the technicians to service and maintain the cars, instead of relying on a third-party. At any point of time, Jaguar Land Rover India trains about 200-300 persons at its plant.
Gaining Traction
In terms of technology, Jaguar Land Rover’s light weight strategy has involved moving from a steel body to an aluminium body. The company’s desire to meet global automotive CO2 challenges has included best-in-class performance for noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) targets as well as durability and safety. The result has been reduced weight in body and chassis systems besides secondary weight savings, and maximised recycled material use and lower energy consumption during the body manufacturing stage. However, a bid in weight savings also means an increase in complexity in designing and producing the parts.
Its latest innovation, lightweight aluminium architecture, embodied in the new Jaguar XF, makes it significantly lighter, stronger and 28% stiffer than the structure used in XF’s predecessor. Aluminium has been used to form the body sides, bonnet and front wings of XF. Even its F-PACE, Jaguar’s first SUV, is based on the D7a all-aluminium architecture and 80% of the body is aluminium with steel — recycled aluminium — which makes the SUV crucially light.
The company’s website asserts that it is improving lightweight vehicle architectures, developing advanced sensory controls, maximising engine efficiency and harnessing alternative fuels.
The company has also incorporated several other innovations. Suri says, “We have several core competencies where we are regarded as pioneers. Similarly, all-terrain self-driving, All Surface Progress Control (ASPC), are also technologies that we have developed.”
For instance, the new Jaguar XJ benefits from technologies that can take the effort out of stop-start traffic, making the driving experience even more relaxing, enjoyable and safe. Suri says, “Already proven in the XE and the XF, the new XJ becomes the latest Jaguar to benefit from the revolutionary ASPC technology. It has been designed to help drivers to pull away smoothly on very low friction surfaces, which can make it easier and safer to drive a powerful rear-wheel drive car at low speeds on slippery surfaces such as snow, ice and wet grass.” ASPC works like a low-speed cruise control. Conventional traction control systems attempt to modulate what happens once the wheels begin to slip – that’s usually too late. ASPC is fundamentally different, and leverages decades of Jaguar Land Rover’s knowledge and experience in off-road technologies. It is compatible with rear- and all-wheel drive and is made even more effective by the fitment of winter tyres.
With environmental innovation continuing to be at the heart of the company’s policies, Jaguar Land Rover has developed the Ingenium range of petrol and diesel engines. Ingenium is Jaguar Land Rover’s new breed of engines designed for effortless performance, refinement and efficiency. With advanced technology and all-aluminium construction, Ingenium delivers impressive fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Up to 20kg lighter than equivalent previous generation engines, Ingenium is intrinsically more efficient. In the F-Pace, the powerful 3.0L V6 turbocharged diesel engine offers exceptional refinement and efficiency, increasing power to 221kW and torque to an impressive 700Nm for improved performance and excellent drivability. The engine uses innovative twin parallel sequential turbocharging – a concept pioneered by the company – for smooth, more immediate delivery of power at all engine speeds, as well as two-stage water cooling to conserve energy. This engine delivers an acceleration of 0-100km/h in just 6.2s.
Behind the dream
Having achieved so much in so little time, Suri is not resting on his laurels. In January, the company announced the opening of its 24th dealer network in Noida. He says, “The opening of this ultra-modern, integrated, one-stop facility offering our esteemed customers, Sales, Service & Spare parts (3S) from the same location, is in line with ensuring accessibility for our customers.” The company now sells its range of cars in 23 cities across the country.
For the moment, Suri considers himself fortunate that the company has strong, iconic brands and ends with saying that this year too, it has planned significant announcements for the Indian market.