Tata positions Tiago, Zest for individual buyers; Bolt, Indica, Indigo to target cab aggregators

With a rising demand for taxis and 15-20 percent discounts offered by Hyundai, Toyota and Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors has decided to promote the sale of the Bolt, Indica and Indigo to taxi aggregators.

"The Zest and Tiago will continue to be aimed at the individual buyer, but the Bolt, Indica and Indigo will target aggregators," Mayank Pareek, president, passenger vehicle business unit, Tata Motors was quoted as saying by Business Standard.

When Tata Motors launched Zest in 2014, it had said that no new generation model will be sold for commercial use. Later, when Bolt was launched, Tata Motors continued not to promote commercial use of the new vehicles. However, after the initial excitement that saw healthy sales, Bolt's market fizzled out soon. It was reported that Tata Motors may pull the plug on Bolt but words from Pareek indicate it may get a new lease of life as taxis. 

Tata Motors' Indica and Indigo are still the preferred choice among taxi aggregators despite the arrival of many newcomers from rival companies. With the recent increase in cab aggregators and users, the need for cars for the segment is expected to grow at a rapid pace. Tata Motors plans to tap this with the Bolt, Indica and Indigo.

Meanwhile, the Tiago, launched in April this year, is the best selling Tata car at present. The hatchback bearing the new Impact design language of Tata Motors finds over 4,500 takers per month on an average. The Zest, however, is not a fast selling model for Tata Motors. With the arrival of Tiago's compact sedan sibling in 2017, Tata Motors may realign the Zest to target aggregators.