"The coupe design is well-known worldwide to add that little bit of style to any SUV" says Vivek Srivatsa, COO

Kranti Sambhav: Tata Motors is going to launch its, coupe SUV, the Curvv very soon and to know more about that, we have a with us Vivek. The first question would be, are we going to see this Curvv in all 3 versions?

Vivek Srivatsa: Yes, I would say 4 versions actually. We are going to launch it, as an EV initially but very, very soon we will launch it with, various ICE engines. There will be two versions of petrol and diesel. So it'll be quite an array of choices for our customers in the mid-SUV category.

Kranti Sambhav: Really want to understand, the positioning and the category of this, product because it's a coupe and, that's not something, very common in the Indian market. How do you see that and why do you think that that is maybe what's going to work for you?

Vivek Srivatsa: So, I mean, design has always been one of our key pillars. Undifferentiated design, bringing something which stands out on the road is what we followed. We started with, Nexon and then the Harrier, Punch and Safari. In all of those, we followed design cues, which not only stood out from the competition but also exuded a little bit of premium. We are getting into this category, which is one of the largest categories in the market and it was very important for us to mix a lot of practicality, but also bring in a lot of, attitude, and style because this is a discerning customer. We also thought that there are certain practical elements that this category can add to. You will see in this design the coupe design is well-known worldwide to add that little bit of style to this category or any SUV, in my opinion. But with the Curvv we also addressed a lot of practical issues, which we thought this category could gain from.

Kranti Sambhav: So, we are having this conversation in, Tata's design & tech studio in the UK. So that says a lot about your, faith or your positioning of the Curvv. You are betting, on its, looks and designs, but you also talked about, practicality, and you also said 4 different versions. So when should we, expect them? I assume CNG is also on the cards.

Vivek Srivatsa: Not yet, but, all four of them will be launched within the festival season. Not together, but slightly phased out, with the EV going first on the 7th of August.

Kranti Sambhav: Let's talk about the segment where plan on positioning the Curvv. How big is that and what kind of USP are you looking at which will help the Curvv take on that challenge?

Vivek Srivatsa: It's the largest subsegment in the SUV category. It's about 32% of the SUV category, which is huge. We are very confident about this product. If you go back in time in 2017, we launched the Nexon into the compact SUV segment. It was an SUV coupe then and it took some time to register with the customers and the design took some time to settle in. But all of us know the kind of success the Nexon has had, and we intend to replicate a similar kind of success in this category. As much as Nexon delivered style, but also practicality, so will the Curvv. We believe we can replicate a similar kind of success, a similar kind of market share within this category as what we did with the compact SUV space.

Kranti Sambhav: What's next? I mean, we saw the Sierra. Everyone is talking about that and asking when are you launching that.

Vivek Srivatsa: This year is going to be very busy. We have the Curvv, a very, very big launch for us. It's going to significantly expand our addressable market. Currently, we are just 52% with our product range. The mid SUV has been missing. So the entire focus of the organization is to land the Curvv and make a big impact when we launch. We have the Harrier EV, which we have already confirmed for later this financial year.  The Sierra will come in FY26. That again will be a very big launch. So we want to give enough space for the Curvv to settle in, and then we will have Sierra come in.

Kranti Sambhav: So all of us are discussing the EV sales. The sales chart, the growth has kind of mellowed down. How are you looking at it? Many analysts and experts are kind of confused. How do you look at it?

Vivek Srivatsa: I think it's a temporary plateauing out. But it's only a question of time before it comes back extremely strong. The two biggest issues are range and charging infrastructure. Range. it's only a matter of time before customers get access to higher-range vehicles at very competitive prices. We are talking about the mainstream EV market, which is between Rs 10 and Rs 20 lakhs. In terms of, charging infrastructure, the government is at it. A lot of private players are getting into it. the oil marketing companies are getting into it in a very big way and the next two years, you will see a huge amount of, expansion and availability of, EV charging stations. We are also broadening the speed of this charging station availability. We are sharing our information in terms of where our cars are, moving around. We have more than 100,000 cars on the road. We have, data in terms of when they charge and what is charging frequency is. We have an open collaboration with all charging service operators, including the oil marketing companies, and tell them exactly where the hotspots are within cities, but also on highways. So it's going to be a huge growth in terms of charging capability in the next two years. Plus added to it the access to larger range vehicles will promote a lot of intercity travel. I think it's a temporary blip. We've always maintained that the best way to clean zero emission is ultimately EV. It's the clean solution and any other tech is the midway point. So EVs are the ultimate destination. So, while there is a little bit of a blip, it'll come back very strongly.

Kranti Sambhav: Every other, technology is a midway point. So that means you have ruled out, my next question. Hybrids.

Vivek Srivatsa: We have not spoken that language at all. That's the implication. Even now when you ask me questions about the powertrains of Curvv, it is obvious. Because, you know, we also don't have the capacity. When you are already shooting for something which is in the future, I don't think we'll be able to commit anything to it.

Kranti Sambhav: How do you see, the overall Indian car market? Because, last two months, we have seen lower single-digit growth in most cases...

Vivek Srivatsa: The intense growth of the last few years has kind of tapered off. There is a lot of stress in terms of, stock in the network. It's going to be a little bit of a tough year. But I think it happens once every 3 or 4 years, you do have a tough year. While it is very tough for us manufacturers, for customers, it is good. It also allows, the market to just reset itself from all the inconsistencies which come in high-demand situations. It's going to be a tough year. but I think, fortunately for us, we have, a couple of new launches lined up. We are going to significantly expand our addressable market. So we are positive of doing well.