Questions raised by media attitude
Recent reports in the Western press about Tata motors’ prospective takeover of the Land Rover and Jaguar brands have raised a few disturbing questions. News analysis and blogs seem perturbed by Tata’s bid for the iconic British brands. The Western media raises the phantom issue of brand image dilution at the hands of the Tata’s; a car manufacturer they associate with the world’s cheapest car – the infamous one-lakh car. Their premise is that the image of the big brands that Tata is eyeing may take a beating as a result of this.
Does the argument hold water? Another question is whether Western car enthusiasts are really so baffled by the change of ownership that they would overlook the survival of Land Rover and Jaguar. Yet another question is, why such discomfiture on the part of some journalists and bloggers? Do people really have so much idle time as to waste it on such issues? Are vested interests in act here? If not the common people, then who’s writing such obnoxious stuff? The answers to these questions deliver a clearer picture of the situation.
As far as the Tatas are concerned, their business credentials are solid. Tata is not just a business conglomerate but a business house that has contributed immensely to the making of modern India. Tatas belong to a generation of conscientious businessmen; a generation of yore who believed in giving back to society from what they got. The Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research stand testimony to their benevolence. In India, the Tatas are clearly seen as ‘businessmen with professionalism’. The conglomerate has always been led by a visionary businessman, be it the founder Jamshedji or the current leader Ratanji. Tata’s business success is a story of India’s rising economic strength.
It’s not the question of Tatas winning or losing the bid for Jaguar and Land Rover. They have won many a time and have also lost on a few occasions. The outcome of the bid is by no means a standard to gauge the Indian car maker. It will not mean the world if they win and will definitely not be the end of the road if they lose. But, is there anyone else who has stepped up to the task at hand? Only a handful of companies have actually filed for the bid and now only two remain in the race, one of them being a private equity entity - EquityOne.
In this case, what’s really disturbing is the scale of dissemination of such ideology. Would Western car buyers really want to know who made the car they are driving or where it came from? The current views are clearly an indication of restlessness and a result of the propagation of an old belief system pertaining to developing countries. Be what it may, Asia is truly rising.
Article submitted by Krishnaraj Shastri
Does the argument hold water? Another question is whether Western car enthusiasts are really so baffled by the change of ownership that they would overlook the survival of Land Rover and Jaguar. Yet another question is, why such discomfiture on the part of some journalists and bloggers? Do people really have so much idle time as to waste it on such issues? Are vested interests in act here? If not the common people, then who’s writing such obnoxious stuff? The answers to these questions deliver a clearer picture of the situation.
As far as the Tatas are concerned, their business credentials are solid. Tata is not just a business conglomerate but a business house that has contributed immensely to the making of modern India. Tatas belong to a generation of conscientious businessmen; a generation of yore who believed in giving back to society from what they got. The Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research stand testimony to their benevolence. In India, the Tatas are clearly seen as ‘businessmen with professionalism’. The conglomerate has always been led by a visionary businessman, be it the founder Jamshedji or the current leader Ratanji. Tata’s business success is a story of India’s rising economic strength.
It’s not the question of Tatas winning or losing the bid for Jaguar and Land Rover. They have won many a time and have also lost on a few occasions. The outcome of the bid is by no means a standard to gauge the Indian car maker. It will not mean the world if they win and will definitely not be the end of the road if they lose. But, is there anyone else who has stepped up to the task at hand? Only a handful of companies have actually filed for the bid and now only two remain in the race, one of them being a private equity entity - EquityOne.
In this case, what’s really disturbing is the scale of dissemination of such ideology. Would Western car buyers really want to know who made the car they are driving or where it came from? The current views are clearly an indication of restlessness and a result of the propagation of an old belief system pertaining to developing countries. Be what it may, Asia is truly rising.
Article submitted by Krishnaraj Shastri
Labels: 1 lakh car, Jaguar, Land Rover, Submitted Article, Tata
1 Comments:
I agree with Mr.Shastri. Foreign press has shown bias against Tata Motors for venturing into their forte. They have not been able to understand the capacity of India's emreging economic capacity. Kudos for Tata for having gone where no Indian company dared before.
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