Jaguar Land Rover is set to begin local assembly of the Range Rover Evoque at Tata Motors’ brand-new Panapakkam facility in Tamil Nadu from 9 February, marking a major step in strengthening its India-focused manufacturing strategy. The $994 million plant is Tata Motors’ first new factory in years and signals renewed momentum after the cyberattack that disrupted JLR’s global operations in 2025.
Built with an annual capacity of 250,000 vehicles, the Panapakkam site will gradually take over more JLR assembly work currently handled at Tata’s Pune facility. Evoque production will start modestly, with under 10,000 units planned for the Indian market, but the factory has been designed with future expansion in mind, including exports and electric vehicle assembly.
India’s premium SUV market continues to show strong demand, even as JLR faces pressure in traditional strongholds like China and the US. By localising production, the brand aims to sharpen pricing and compete more aggressively with German rivals such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
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The Evoque joins an expanding locally assembled JLR lineup that already includes the Range Rover Velar, Discovery Sport and Jaguar F-Pace, with the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport added in late 2024. Assembly at Panapakkam will begin via CKD operations, allowing Tata to sidestep steep import duties while maintaining premium positioning.
Completed in just 16 months, the Tamil Nadu plant underlines Tata Motors’ long-term confidence in India’s growing appetite for luxury SUVs—and JLR’s intent to make the country a key pillar of its global strategy.
