Even as competition in India’s electric passenger vehicle market intensifies, Tata Motors is aiming to reclaim and sustain a 45–50 percent market share, betting in a broader product portfolio, deeper ecosystem investments, and a faster shift of EVs into the mainstream.
Speaking on the sidelines of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd crossing 250,000 cumulative EV sales, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd, said the target remains achievable even as more automakers ramp up their electric offerings.
The company believes its advantage lies in its broadest EV portfolio, spanning entry-level hatchbacks to higher-end SUVs, with the upcoming Avinya range expected to anchor Tata Motors’ premium EV push above the ₹30 lakh mark.
That leadership, however, has come under pressure. Tata Motors’ share of India’s cumulative EV market has slipped to around 35–40 percent, as rivals such as JSW, MG Motor, and Mahindra & Mahindra have stepped up launches and capacity in recent quarters.
Still, Tata Motors remains confident of regaining ground. Having played a formative role in building India’s EV market at a time when volumes were measured in the low thousands and charging infrastructure was scarce, the company expects the next phase of growth to be driven by portfolio expansion and a denser charging network.
EV penetration, which was negligible before the pandemic, has now risen to around 5 percent of annual passenger vehicle sales, with monthly volumes in the 16,000–18,000 unit range, signalling that electric cars are steadily moving beyond early adopters.
Chandra said Tata Motors’ confidence is rooted in scale and data. Tata EVs have together clocked nearly 12 billion kilometres, generating insights into real-world driving patterns, charging behaviour, and long-term durability. The company estimates this fleet has helped avoid 1.7 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to planting roughly 80 million trees.
Crucially, Tata Motors argues that EVs are no longer secondary or urban-only vehicles. Around 84 percent of Tata EV owners use their electric car as the primary vehicle in their household, while average usage is significantly higher than that of comparable internal combustion engine cars, helping dispel concerns around range anxiety and everyday practicality.
To defend its position as rivals scale up, Tata Motors plans to add five new EV nameplates by FY30, including the Sierra EV and models under the Avinya brand, alongside updates and refreshes to its existing lineup.
Backing this product push is a planned investment of ₹16,000–18,000 crore between FY25 and FY30 into Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd. Charging infrastructure remains central to the strategy, with Tata Motors and group companies targeting one million charging points by 2030, including 100,000 public chargers.
Beyond vehicles and chargers, the company is also building a circular EV ecosystem, repurposing used batteries for energy storage and expanding EV-specific service and battery repair facilities.
“Through these actions, we believe a steady-state EV market share of 45 to 50 percent is achievable,” Chandra said, adding that Tata Motors will continue to prioritise mainstream adoption over short-term volume spikes, even as the market becomes more crowded.
Industry watchers say the ambition reflects both Tata Motors’ early-mover advantage and the challenge ahead, as global and domestic manufacturers line up aggressive EV launches. Whether Tata can return to a dominant share will depend on execution, pricing discipline, and how quickly India’s charging and localisation ecosystem keeps pace with demand.
(with inputs from Ketan Thakkar)