JLR to Begin CKD Operations at Ranipet Plant in Early 2026, Confirms Tata Motors

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to commence Completely Knocked Down (CKD) operations at its upcoming facility in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, from early 2026. 

The project marks a key step in expanding JLR's local manufacturing footprint in India, with the initial focus on assembling the Range Rover Evoque and Velar models, said sources, with a potential capacity of 30,000 units per annum. 

While the company was non-committal on the capacity or product plans, in a round table with the media, Tata Motors’ Group CFO, P.B. Balaji, confirmed the development, stating, “As far as the Chennai plant is concerned for JLR, we are starting with the CKD operations… Over time, we will probably migrate existing CKD operations from Pune to Ranipet.”

As part of Phase 1, 70 acres out of the total 470-acre site have been earmarked for the CKD plant,which will have an annual production capacity of 30,000 units. While initial CKD operations will begin with Evoque and Velar, models like Defender and Discovery are under consideration for future assembly at the site, according to people in the know. Initial production is expected to begin at 500 units per month and will gradually scale up to 2,500–3,000 units. Line readiness is scheduled for completion by January 2026, added sources. 

The facility’s long-term roadmap includes a second phase, with construction likely to commence post the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. The Phase 2 plant is expected to support production of up to 250,000 units annually and will primarily focus on electric vehicles (EVs) for both Tata Motors and JLR.

Balaji emphasized the strategic flexibility the plant offers in the long run. “It is also a Tata Motors plant. As we step up volumes under Shailesh's leadership, we will require additional manufacturing capacity, and this location will be a key part of that plan.”

He further noted that the upcoming Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the UK could support faster model introduction by allowing early market testing of new products without waiting for full CKD localization. “This will become more relevant for the newer products that are going to come,” he added.

Ranipet will be one of the main manufacturing centers for Tata Motors in India when it is fully built. The company currently has six major manufacturing facilities across India, each specializing in different vehicle segments, with a significant upcoming plant that will mark a new chapter in the company's manufacturing strategy.

The Jamshedpur Plant in Jharkhand serves as Tata Motors' flagship facility and largest manufacturing hub. Established in 1945 as the company's first manufacturing unit, this 822-acre facility specializes in medium and heavy commercial vehicles, including the Tata Prima series, with over 200 truck variants ranging from multi-axle trucks to tractor trailers, tippers, and special application vehicles for both civilian and defense applications. The plant has a manufacturing capacity of 133,500 units per annum and also handles in-house manufacture of Tata engines.

The Pune Plant in Maharashtra, established in 1966 and spread across Pimpri and Chinchwad, focuses on all variants of Tata engines in diesel and CNG options, with dedicated assembly lines for light commercial vehicles and passenger cars like Indica and Indigo. The Lucknow Plant in Uttar Pradesh, established in 1992, specializes in designing and manufacturing modern buses including low-floor, ultra low-floor, CNG, and rear engine buses, along with High Capacity Bus System buses, with a production capacity of 640 vehicles per day.

The Pantnagar Plant in Uttarakhand, commissioned in 2008, serves as the production hub for small commercial vehicles like the Tata Ace and Magic, with production capacities of 1,440 vehicles per day. The Sanand Plant in Gujarat, established in 2010, evolved from manufacturing the Tata Nano to producing popular hatchbacks like Tata Tiago and Tata Tigor, reaching 100% capacity utilization in 2018. The Dharwad Plant in Karnataka manufactures Tata's Marcopolo buses for inner-city and intra-city travel, including the Starbus range for domestic and international markets.