TAMO is Tata Motors’ answer to FOMO

TAMO is Tata Motors’ answer to FOMO

Aims to be a top-3 player by 2019 thanks to a new agility

Tata Motors has a perception problem. The sins of the past haunt potential customers of its passenger vehicles, despite the fact that their current crop are very decent vehicles. We’ve spoken to a number of former Tata Motors employees over the years and have always come back with a sense that they’re talented folk held back by a glacial system.

Tata Motors intends to remedy this with ‘TAMO’ – a new sub-brand that will work with global startups and tech companies, to allow their cars to access new innovations and upcoming technologies quicker. “It will act as an incubating center of innovation towards new technologies, business models and partnerships in order to define future mobility solutions,” says the press release, which is lavish in its use of buzzwords and jargon. From what we can understand, Tata Motors – through TAMO – wants to cut the red tape and translate tech faster into products. They’re calling this transformative journey ‘FutuReady’. See what we mean?

New Passenger Vehicle strategy

Tata Motors wants to be a top-3 player in the space by 2019, and are taking an “outside-in” approach in evaluating existing products. They see strong demand for SUVs and hatchbacks, so expect to see more of those from Tata going forward. “Our strategy is to deliver 7–8 product variants from two platforms, for greater coverage and sizable economies of scale. Our new architectural approach supports our effort to reduce complexity, enables future technologies and ensures global relevance,” said Mayank Pareek, President of the PV business.

Translation: we think this will probably mean products based on the Tiago and Hexa platforms, more turbos and more in-car tech.

Technology drivers

There’s a lot of talk about technology in the announcement. About how emerging customers and trends are shaking up the nature of mobility. Clearly, Tata does not want to miss out on potential partnerships and technologies that could keep them relevant to the millennial crowd. “Our success in this new mobility world will be contingent to our ability to network globally and to partner with new thought leaders. Our focus will be to scout for new technologies and to explore opportunities at the innovation hubs across the globe and to work with start-ups in the new spaces,” said Tim Leverton, President and Head Advanced and Product Engineering.

Translation: “hey Apple, Google, Tesla, LeTV, let’s talk!”

We will see the first TAMO product – rumoured to be a sportscar – at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7, 2017.

Tata inspires as much nationalistic fervour as the Deol family and desi ghee, so it’s heartening to see them look inward and attempt to move with agility – something that’s just about taken for granted in a world where you’re highly unlikely to have read this far.