Tata Motors is preparing to accelerate its premium electric vehicle strategy by adopting a platform developed through a partnership between Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Chinese automaker Chery Automobile for its upcoming Avinya range. The move is expected to help the company strengthen its presence in India’s increasingly competitive electric vehicle market as well as address delays in its premium EV roadmap.
According to reports, the first Avinya model based on the new architecture is expected to launch in 2027, followed by the second model around 2029. Additional products may be introduced as Tata Motors expands the Avinya portfolio across multiple segments.
The decision comes after Tata Motors’ earlier plan to develop Avinya vehicles on JLR’s electrified modular architecture (EMA) basically failed to go ahead. The EMA platform was initially expected to support premium electric vehicles targeted for launch in the middle of the decade.
Instead, Avinya models will now be built on the Freelander platform, which has been developed in China through the JLR-Chery collaboration. Tata Motors said Avinya is being positioned as a global premium EV brand that will leverage multiple scalable platforms and architectures while retaining Tata Motors’ own strengths in design, engineering and vehicle integration.
The company stressed that its ongoing collaboration with JLR and its strategic partners will continue to be a key component of its premium EV strategy as it looks to expand the Avinya brand in the domestic and international markets.
Under the proposed manufacturing arrangement, the first Avinya vehicle will be imported from China in completely knocked down (CKD) form and assembled at Tata Motors’ upcoming manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. Efforts to localize components and increase domestic content are reportedly already underway.
Industry observers see the platform-sharing arrangement as a practical solution that allows Tata Motors to accelerate product development timelines and gain access to advanced EV technologies without the significant investment and time required to develop a new architecture from the ground up.
While addressing near-term product requirements by leveraging the Freelander platform, Tata Motors is also believed to be continuing work on its own dedicated electric vehicle architecture for future applications.
The move comes at a time when competition is intensifying in India’s electric passenger vehicle segment. Although Tata Motors remains the country’s largest EV maker, rivals including Mahindra & Mahindra and JSW MG Motor India have significantly expanded their electric vehicle portfolios in recent years.
Electric vehicles currently account for a growing share of Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle business, and the company has set an ambitious target of increasing EV contribution to total sales to 30 per cent by 2030. The Avinya lineup is expected to play a key role in achieving that objective by strengthening Tata Motors’ position in the premium EV segment, where customers are increasingly demanding advanced technology, software-driven features and longer driving ranges.
The development also reflects a broader trend within India’s automotive industry, where manufacturers are accessing Chinese EV technologies through licensing agreements and platform partnerships rather than through direct investment structures. With regulatory scrutiny tightening on Chinese investments, technology-sharing arrangements have emerged as a preferred route for Indian automakers seeking faster access to advanced electric vehicle platforms and capabilities.
As India’s EV market continues to grow, the Avinya program is expected to become a key pillar of Tata Motors’ long-term strategy to compete in the premium electric mobility sector both in India and abroad.
