Statutory Reports
Corporate Overview
69th Annual Report 2013-14
102
Financial Statements
The Company’s product design and development centers are
equipped with sophisticated hardware, software and other
information technology infrastructure, designed to create a
digital product development and virtual testing and validation
environment, resulting in reduced of product development cycle-
time, improved quality and provide ability to create multiple
design options. These centers are growing with increased vehicle
development programs in breadth and depth of technology.
Rapid prototype development systems, testing cycle simulators,
advanced emission test laboratories and styling studios are also a
part of our product development infrastructure. The Company has
aligned our end-to-end digital product development objectives
and infrastructure, with its business goals and have made significant
investments to enhance the capabilities especially in the areas
of product development through Computer Aided Design /
Computer Aided Manufacturing / Computer Aided Engineering /
Knowledge Based Engineering / Product Lifecycle Management
and specific engineering review processes like Digital Mockup
(DMU). The Company’s product lifecycle management system
provides vital processes, including manufacturing feasibility studies,
for product development In order to track various issues arising
in vehicle design and development processes, the Company has
institutionalized ‘issue tracking’ work flow based systems in various
domains to manage them effectively.
The Company’s research and development activities also focus
on developing vehicles running on alternative fuels, including
CNG, liquefied petroleum gas, bio-diesel and compressed air and
electric cars. The Company is continuing to develop green vehicles.
The Company is pursuing alternative fuel options such as ethanol
blending for development of vehicles fuelled by hydrogen.
The Company is also pursuing various initiatives, such as the
introduction of Premium Lightweight Architecture (PLA), to enable
its business to comply with the existing and evolving emissions
legislations in the developed world, which it believes will be a
key enabler of both reduction in CO
2
and further efficiencies in
manufacturing and engineering.
Initiatives in the area of vehicle electronics formeeting ever increasing
regulatory requirement in the area of engine management systems,
in-vehicle network architecture and Multiplexed Wiring were
successfully deployed on the Company range of vehicle whereas
certain technologies Electronic Stability programs, Automated and
Automatic transmission systems, telematics for communication and
tracking, anti-lock braking system intelligent transportation system
are in the process of various phases of deployment on future
range of vehicles. Likewise this could possibly be deployed on our
future range of vehicles.Likewise, various new technologies and
systems that would improve safety, performance and emissions of
product range are being implemented in our passenger cars and
commercial vehicles
The Company is developing and enterprise level vehicle diagnostics
system for achieving faster diagnostics of complex electronics in
vehicles in order to provide prompt service to customers. Furthermore
the initiative in telematics has spanned into a fleet management,
driver information and navigation systems, and vehicle tracking
system using GNSS (Global NavigationSatellite Systems).
The Company established a wholly owned subsidiary, TMETC, in
2006, to augment the abilities of its Engineering Research Centre
with an objective to obtain access to leading-edge technologies to
support the product development activities. In October 2010, the
Company also acquired a design house in Italy, Trilix Srl, that has
been working with the Company on many of its projects and are
now a part of Tata Motors Design organization.
The Company endeavors to absorb the best of technologies for its
product range to meet the requirements of a globally competitive
market. All of its vehicles and engines are compliant with the
prevalent regulatory norms in the respective countries in which
they are sold. The Company’s strategy to invest and develop its
development capabilities have helped the Company in attaining
significant achievements such as the design and development
of India’s first indigenously developed compact car, the segment
creating mini- truck – the ‘Tata Ace’ and the world’s most affordable
family car — the Tata Nano. In collaboration with its subsidiary
TDCV, the Company developed the “World Truck”, now referred to
as ‘Prima’, a sophisticated and contemporary M&HCV range with
performance standards similar to those in developed markets.
The Jaguar Land Rover research and development operations
currently consist of a single engineering team, operating within
