103
Notice
Directors’ Report
(69-103)
Management Discussion & Analysis
Corporate Governance
Secretarial Audit Report
co-managed engineering facilities, sharing premium technologies,
power train designs and vehicle architecture. The ERC in India and
Jaguar Land Rover engineering and development operations in
the United Kingdom, have identified areas to leverage the facilities
and resources to enhance the product development process and
achieve economies of scale.
JLR’s vehicles are designed and developed by award-winning
design teams, and it is committed to a programme of regular
enhancements in product design. JLR’s two design and
development centres are equipped with computer-aided design,
manufacturing and engineering tools, and are configured for
competitive product development cycle time and efficient data
management. In recent years, JLR has refreshed the entire Jaguar
range under a unified concept and design language and continued
to enhance the design of Land Rover’s range of all-terrain vehicles.
JLR’s R&D operations look for synergies through sharing premium
technologies, powertrain designs and vehicle architecture. All of
JLR’s products are designed and engineered primarily in the United
Kingdom. JLR endeavours to implement the best technologies
into its product range to meet the requirements of a globally
competitive market. JLR is currently developing vehicles which will
run on alternative fuels and hybrids and is also investing in other
programmes for the development of technologies to improve the
environmental performance of its vehicles including the reduction
of CO
2
emissions.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
The Company creates, owns, and maintains a wide array of
intellectual property assets that are among its most valuable assets
throughout the world. The Company’s intellectual property assets
include patents, trademarks, copyrights designs, trade secrets and
other intellectual property rights. Patents relate to innovations
and products; trademarks secured relate to brands and products;
copyrights are secured for creative content; and designs are secured
for aesthetic features of products/components. The Company
proactively and aggressively seeks to protect its intellectual property
in India and other countries.
The Company owns a number of patents and has applied for
new patents which are pending for grant in India as well as in
other countries. It has also filed a number of patent applications
outside India under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, which will
be effective in different countries going forward. The Company
obtains new patents as part of its ongoing research and
development activities.
The Company own registrations for number of trade-marks and
have pending applications for registration of these in India as well
as other countries. The registrations mainly include trademarks for
its vehicle models and other promotional initiatives. The Company
uses the “Tata” brand, which has been licensed to the Company
by Tata Sons Limited. The Company’s believes that establishment
of the “Tata” word mark and logo mark in India and world over,
is material to its operations. As part of acquisition of TDCV, the
Company has the rights to the perpetual and exclusive use of the
“Daewoo” brand and trademarks in Korea and overseas markets for
the product range of TDCV.
As part of the acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover business, ownership
(or co-ownership, as applicable) of core intellectual property
associated with JLR were transferred to the Company. Additionally,
perpetual royalty free licenses to use other essential intellectual
properties have been granted to the Company for use in Jaguar
and Land Rover vehicles. Jaguar and Land Rover own registered
designs, to protect the design of their vehicles in several countries.
In varying degrees, all its intellectual property is important to the
Company. In particular, the Tata brand is integral to the conduct of
the Company’s business, a loss of which could lead to dilution of
our brand image and have a material adverse effect on the business.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Statements in the Management Discussion and Analysis describing
the Company’s objective, projections, estimates, expectations may
be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable
securities laws and regulations. Actual results could differ materially
from those expressed or implied. Important factors that could make
a difference to the Company’s operations include, among others,
economic conditions affecting demand /supply and price conditions
in the domestic and overseas markets in which the Company
operates, changes in the Government regulations, tax laws and
other statutes and incidental factors.
