Selling Back To India. What Do You Think?

Now that the Indian company Tata Motors has purchased Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR), where in the world should they sell them?

There's an old marketing story that goes something like this: A successful shoe company's CEO decided to send two of his top salesmen to a country far away to see if there was a market for selling their shoes there. After two weeks, the salesmen came back and the first one reported to the CEO "There's no market for our shoes there because nobody wears any shoes there." The second salesman was called in to the CEO's office and he said "There's a huge market for our shoes there because nobody is wearing any shoes there!"

This is why the CEO chose two people to send into the field. Differing perspectives can yield wildly differing opinions.

So it is that Tata Motors said Friday it is studying the market possibilities of selling Jaguars and Land Rovers in India. Why not? After all, that's their new home now.

"Like Russia and China, JLR would be exploring the Indian market also. A team will be coming to India to study the market," Managing Director Ravi Kant said during a conference call Friday, the Times of India reported. Notice, he said "A team will be coming..." Sounds like they're off to a solid start in that regard at least.

Kant said he did not expect large sales in India for the two brands, however, "as these are high priced products, we should not be putting up big numbers." In the end, India, China and Russia are like that foreign shoe market. Each market is ultimately going to vote with its feet.