Having set the domestic business on a strong footing, Tata Motors is planning to deepen its presence in South Africa and enter new overseas markets including Australia and Malaysia as part of the next phase of its international expansion, Tata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the company's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, Chandrasekaran said the automaker would focus on expanding in South Africa while exploring opportunities in Commonwealth markets such as Australia and Malaysia. He added that Tata Motors also intends to look more closely at the UK and other European markets as part of its wider international plan.
His comments outline a broader international strategy at a time when Tata Motors is looking to diversify its revenue base beyond India and leverage an expanding portfolio of sport utility vehicles and electric vehicles in overseas markets. Earlier this month, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles MD & CEO Shailesh Chandra told mediapersons the company had begun work on a UK entry plan, including certification and network preparations, ahead of duty free EV export opportunities
The company did not disclose sales targets, timelines or planned investments for the overseas expansion.
Tata Motors has steadily expanded its export footprint in recent years, although overseas volumes remain a small part of its passenger vehicle business. The renewed focus on South Africa, Australia and Malaysia, alongside a more structured look at the UK and continental Europe, suggests the company is prioritising right hand drive markets where its current product portfolio is better suited, while keeping options open in key developed markets as its EV range evolves.
The international expansion comes alongside an ambitious domestic growth plan. Tata Motors is targeting a 20% share of India's passenger vehicle market by FY2031, up from about 14.2% currently, supported by six new model launches and more than 20 product refreshes.
The company is also investing heavily across its automotive businesses. Tata Motors' domestic operations will spend about ₹40,000 crore over the next five years, while its British luxury vehicle business, Jaguar Land Rover, plans capital expenditure of around £20 billion during the same period.
At the group level, the Tata Group is targeting automotive revenue of about $100 billion by FY2031 across Tata Motors' passenger and commercial vehicle businesses, JLR and Tata AutoComp Systems, with a profit pool implied at well over $5 billion based on margin guidance.
For Tata Motors, the international push reflects an effort to build a broader and more balanced business as competition intensifies in India and product development increasingly caters to global and regional markets rather than domestic demand alone.