INTERVIEW: "EV Demand is Rebounding both in India and Around the Globe" - JLR's Rajan Amba

In a candid conversation with Autocar Professional, Rajan Amba, Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover India, breaks down the realities behind the India–UK FTA, the company’s manufacturing strategy, the future of the Panapakkam plant and what lies ahead for the rebirth of Jaguar. From the rise of India as a global production base to the evolving psychology of luxury car buyers, Amba offers views on opportunities, misconceptions and the road to JLR’s next phase of growth in India.

How do you see the impact of the India–UK FTA in the short, medium, and long term?

The implementation of the FTA could be a minimum nine months, maybe 12 months away. So, the consumer should not be expecting anything till then. Having said that, 95% of our business is already local. So there is going to be no impact on those products. In fact, I would say, please buy now, because prices inevitably tend to go up year after year because of escalating costs.

So there’s no point in waiting. The pound is also appreciating rapidly. That leaves 5% of the business—our SV (special vehicles) business and special editions. Those are in our hands to import or not, keeping in mind the situation. Yes, we have orders, but it’s a small part of the business. So it’s business as usual.. FTA announcement does create confusion. Every time there's an announcement, everybody freezes.

Then the questions come. I don't expect people to believe it outright. In May, when this happened, the initial PR outburst in the press was incorrect. The narrative was that a 4-crore car would become half the price which is completely untrue. Slowly the narrative got corrected. We are not seeing any impact at the ground level, barring questions around SV pricing. It’s a very limited impact, and we have to manage it.

Could the FTA ultimately create a balance, lower customs duties for CBUs and attractive pricing for CKDs?

Exactly. In a way, it could help. We made the investment many years ago, and it has paid dividends, particularly in the last two and a half years. Who would have thought that India would be the first country to manufacture the flagship vehicle? India not only delivers very high manufacturing quality, but we also convinced the global team that India needs it and will benefit from it.

It’s a win-win. In the future, if we choose to start pilots or projects on smaller elements of localization, the FTA will benefit from year three, especially in increasing our SV and special-edition business. Whereas on the question of whether lower customs duties will discourage local manufacturing in India, I think it depends on the quota and the usage of the quota.

If the quota is exceeded, everybody will be forced to relook at it. It may be discouraging, but it’s only the UK right now. And we are already invested. I don’t think there is any other UK brand with volumes close enough to think of investing. If they were thinking, they might think again now, because the FTA allows them to import.

Do you see the SV and special-edition business expanding significantly?

Absolutely. These vehicles are Rs 3–5 crore products, but the SV business can really enlarge. We have the SV business, the market editions like Ranthambore and Masara and special editions like the Range Rover SV Black. Now, our partners can choose to craft an edition. Then we have bespoke editions that customers craft.

Currently, the dialogue happens between the customer here and the UK, but we are planning to bring SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) to India so these conversations and executions can happen faster. This allows us to provide an even more elevated experience to people who want to craft their own vehicles or own something unique.

Ranthambore and Masara are classic examples: One of twelve, colors never repeated, interiors never repeated. That’s what drives sales at Rs 5 crore. You’re owning something unique under the Range Rover umbrella and Range Rover is all about embodying magnificence.

What about using India as an export base? What’s the rationale behind adding another plant in Panapakkam?

It is happening but it's still a couple of years away. The rationale comes from the thought process that India is definitely a growth market. Using it as a base for exports is certainly a possibility. What I understand from the Germans, especially with the FTA, is that they want to bring down the complexity of importing 10–15 different models and rely more on CBUs, having one or two models aligned.

So yes, the opportunity for exports is a key part of the long-term strategy. Panapakkam is fundamentally a TMIL (Tata Motors India Limited) facility not a dedicated JLR plant. It will support both JLR and TMIL operations. It's being built to add capacity for future portfolios, exports, and manufacturing flexibility. India–UK FTA could potentially open export possibilities for vehicles made at Panapakkam.

If the FTA results in 0% import duty for UK shipments, vehicles made in India could be exported more competitively. But it’s too early to comment because global factors, from wars to tariffs, are shifting constantly.

Is the Panapakkam plant on schedule?

Yes. The plant is progressing as planned and remains on schedule with no intention to roll back or delay the project. The strategy is to begin with smaller volumes in Panapakkam, then transition some production from Pune as Pune reaches capacity limits. Over time, Panapakkam will take on more responsibility as part of a broader capacity expansion plan. Tata Motors Group is building capacity for up to 30,000 vehicles, anticipating opportunities such as potential 0% tariffs in the UK under the FTA.

What is happening with Jaguar’s global relaunch plan?

Jaguar’s global product launch cadence is still being finalised. While earlier timelines suggested 2026, there may be delays. But India will be a Tier-1 launch market, meaning it will get new Jaguar products among the earliest globally. The leadership expresses strong confidence that upcoming Jaguar designs will be stunning and mind-blowing.

Testing is underway, and internal optimism is very high. As far as pricing goes, a lot will depend on FTA clarity, market conditions, and EV sentiment. Decisions will be made closer to launch.

Is the EV slowdown a concern?

There is no major concern about an EV slowdown. JLR has already received 65,000 bookings globally for its upcoming BEVs, even before journalists have driven the cars. EV demand is rebounding both in India and globally, and luxury EV penetration levels have already reached 11–12%. This shows strong, sustained interest in the category.

The 5% GST is extremely important because it is driving luxury EV growth. It allows brands to price EVs close to, or even below, ICE equivalents, making them more accessible in the luxury segment. Any change in this rate would immediately affect competitiveness and could alter the momentum EVs are seeing today.

Why is India’s luxury market still small (~50K units)?

India’s luxury car market remains relatively small because of several structural factors. Consumer psychology still leans toward saving rather than self-reward and many potential buyers fear scrutiny whether tax-related or social visibility. The dealership and service network remains limited outside key metros and the overall market is yet to hit its true “tipping point.”

However, the Rs 1 crore-plus segment is growing faster than the sub-Rs 1 crore category. Pricing is not really a barrier in the luxury segment because aspiration matters more than cost. Customers buying cars priced between Rs 1–3 crore are motivated by brand value, luxury and experiential appeal not by EMI calculations or minor fluctuations in currency. At this level, emotional and aspirational factors outweigh financial considerations.

Is the luxury buyer profile changing in India?

Yes, the luxury buyer profile in India is changing significantly. New-age luxury buyers now include firstgeneration entrepreneurs, people from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, individuals experiencing sudden wealth growth and customers who may continue to live modestly but can comfortably afford aspirational purchases. The next phase of growth will come when India hits a stronger tipping point of aspiration.

Greater dealership and service presence beyond the top 20 cities will be crucial, as will reducing the fear around taxation. Continued high economic growth and the rise of new millionaires entering the luxury consumption cycle will also play major roles. When these factors align, luxury car sales could climb toward 100,000 units, a threshold the Germans have predicted for years.