If you’ve perused a few car blogs or read enough automotive news, you’ve probably come across the name ‘Tata Motors.’ But what is that, exactly? It’s in India, right? How much of the US market does Tata Motors own? Is it actually a real auto corporation?

What is Tata Motors?

Tata Motors previously called itself “Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company,” or TELCO. It is a multinational automotive manufacturing company. The headquarters are in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. However, Tata Motors certainly holds a global presence in the automotive market.

Related: Will BMW Buy Jaguar Land Rover?

Tata Motors Limited, according to Wikipedia, “is a part of Tata Group, an Indian conglomerate.” The company manufactures a long list of automotive products including passenger cars, vans, coaches, trucks, sports cars, buses, military vehicles, and construction equipment. Some of the products are familiar to us over here in the US. In fact, your Jaguar and your Land Rover are part of Tata Motors Limited.

According to the Tata Motors website, Tata Motors Group (Tata Motors) is a $45 billion organization. This company is part of the force of automotive groups that comprises the leading global automobile manufacturing industry. It is actually one of India’s most substantial OEMs, and it also offers a broad variety of “integrated, smart, and e-mobility solutions.”

What brands are owned by Tata Motors?

The English carmaker Jaguar Land Rover is likely the most well-known brand owned by Tata Motors. Jaguar Land Rover manufactures of Jaguar and Land Rover cars and SUVs. So, there are some pretty familiar brands that are, in fact, owned by this Indian automotive group.

There are also some that you may not have heard of. The South Korean commercial vehicle manufacturer called Tata Daewoo is part of Tata Motors Limited. Additionally, there is a joint venture with Marcopolo S.A. for manufacturing buses. Hitachi and and Tata have come together to create a construction equipment manufacturing organization called Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery.

Another joint venture that Tata Motors is a part of is with a very well-known auto group. Fiat Chrysler has teamed up with Tata Motors for the manufacturing of automotive components for both Tata and Fiat Chrysler vehicles.

What cars does Tata Motors manufacture?

Tata Motors began in 1945. As a matter of fact, the company originally manufactured locomotives. In 1954, Tata collaborated with auto mogul Daimler-Benz AG to create its first commercial vehicle. This collaboration ended in 1969. In 1988, Tata Motors dipped a toe into the world of the passenger car market.

The TataMobile launched in 1988, closely followed by the Tata Sierra which launched in 1991. In fact, the Tata Sierra became the first competitive indigenous Indian-manufactured passenger car. Additionally, the Indica was also launched in 1988 and it is considered the first indigenous Indian passenger car. However, probably the most known Tata passenger car didn’t hit the scene until 2008. The Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car.

Jaguar and Land Rover

So, according to Wikipedia, Tata Motors also owns South Korean truck manufacturer Daewoo Commercial Vehicles Company. Tata’s Daewoo Commercial ownership began in 2004. But, Tata Motor’s most well-known passenger cars belong to Jaguar Land Rover, which they purchased from Ford in 2008.

Jaguar Land Rover owns the manufacturing of the Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles sold here in the US. Tata Motors may sound exotic, but it’s actually a little closer to home than you might think. So, yes. Tata Motors is a real automotive company. It is based in India. However, the company has a global presence in the auto industry.