M&M, Tata aim to manage chip shortage effectively
NEW DELHI: Riding on the success of their recent model launches, homegrown auto majors Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors are looking to further strengthen their product portfolios in 2022.
Both companies are also looking at ways to handle the semiconductor shortage in a better way next year so that the impact on the production is minimal.
“We want to be the number one player in the core SUV segment, and the success across our product portfolio including the all new Thar, XUV300, Bolero Neo and the unprecedented response we have received for XUV700 is an indication that we are on the right track,” Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) Executive Director (Auto & Farm Sectors) Rajesh Jejurikar told PTI in an interaction.
The company has already announced the launch of 13 new products by 2027, he added.
“The next in line is the new Scorpio, which should come out next year, which will be our immediate focus,” Jejurikar noted.
The automaker has seen a strong demand rebound, especially for core, authentic and differentiated products, he stated.
“While the current indications are positive, overall the PV industry next year will need to continue to manage issues related to commodity price inflation, increased freight costs and supply chain disruption,” Jejurikar said.
While noting that the chip shortage is a global issue affecting multiple industries, he stated that while the situation has certainly improved over the last few months, it still remains very dynamic. “We are closely monitoring the situation and doing the best to manage it in the short-term,”
Tata Motors President (Passenger Vehicle Business Unit) Shailesh Chandra stated that the company is taking definitive actions in the near term to mitigate the effects of the supply chain impediments through an agile, multi-pronged approach to address supply bottlenecks and drive its savings program much more efficiently.
“In parallel, we continue to progress our future-fit initiatives of transforming customer experience digitally and strengthening our lead in sustainable mobility,” he noted.
Chandra noted that in 2021, the company kept its New Forever portfolio refreshed with the launch of the Dark range, Tiago NRG, the Safari #Gold.
“We also launched India’s first sub-compact SUV - the Punch, which has been received very well. This year we recorded a decade-high sale in passenger vehicles and delivered the highest-ever quarterly sales in electric vehicles. We are sure to have a very wide appeal across consumer segments, which is also reflected in our market share (YTD FY22) of 11 per cent, up from 7.1%, in the same period last year,” he stated.