Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems Soon!


Thread Starter #1
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,939
Likes
213
Location
bangalore
Today Harmon an US based company with big brand's like JBL,INFINITY, HARMAN-KARDON announced that it has signed a contract with TATA Motor's to develop and supply branded audio and infotainment solutions.

The first Tata vehicle to include HARMAN products will be the limited edition TATA Aria MPV, which will include a premium branded audio system under HARMAN’s JBL brand. The 360-watt JBL sound system features ten speakers with a dedicated subwoofer, and was previewed earlier this year at the New Delhi Auto Expo.

Do you think adding a premium car -entertainment system would change people's perception toward's The brand TATA?
I hope it does!

Source:
Harman - HARMAN to provide India
 

350Z

Core Team
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
21,193
Likes
7,835
Location
New Delhi
Re: Soon, Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems!

This is a step in the right direction from Tata. Tying up with reputed OE manufacturers would indeed help their brand image in some manner. And I really look forward to that Limited Edition Aria.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
Joined
Aug 9, 2011
Messages
1,994
Likes
344
Location
Noida
Re: Soon, Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems!

+1 to Vibhor.

Such tie-ups always add icing to the cake and might just help Aria sales to an extent. I still remember how exited I was to see the first Mitsu Outlander on road and then foud it to be factory fitted with a Rockford Fosgate music system.

freakdude.
 
Joined
Aug 6, 2011
Messages
6,206
Likes
4,220
Location
Meerut, U. P.
Re: Soon, Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems!

Wow that's a great news.
I hope they will get the best for the Aria.Why?Because some days back my father said "Yaar,that Aria car was very comfortable"..
 
Thread Starter #5
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,939
Likes
213
Location
bangalore
Re: Soon, Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems!

This is a step in the right direction from Tata. Tying up with reputed OE manufacturers would indeed help their brand image in some manner. And I really look forward to that Limited Edition Aria.

Drive Safe,
350Z
According to the discussion i had with the concorde motor's sales guy,he is very much aware of the product and told that it will be launched in the next couple of month's,not sure weather it's a solid tip or just a guess work from him.
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
1,151
Likes
94
Location
Kannur, Kerala
Re: Soon, Tata Cars To Be Equipped with Harman Audio Systems!

That's great. And this is what I like about TATA. They sign contract with reputed manufactures & build up their image whereas other companies aren't doing that!
 
Thread Starter #7
Joined
Feb 10, 2012
Messages
5,939
Likes
213
Location
bangalore
INTERVIEW WITH DINESH PALIWAL, CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HARMAN INTERNATIONAL by ACI

What is the product range you have launched based on the scalable platform?

Our very first customer was Toyota which had never placed orders outside of Japan when we got their business. We launched Toyota ‘touch-and-go’. Based on a scalable platform, this was developed in India. Fiat gave us business worth $1.6 billion for both Fiat and Chrysler. Then we got Volkswagen which is worth $1.6 billion across markets including Asia. Tata, Hyundai and Kia are also our customers.

We have got another order from BMW for $2.2 billion — the largest order ever placed in the car industry for infotainment. That would kick-in in 2014, and will go on for over three years.

How long have you been supplying to BMW?

We replaced Continental at BMW in 2007. We started shipping that system in 2009. All the models from 2009 at BMW are Harman. In 2012 comes the Next Big Thing (NBT). That is all Harman. That is going to be the best system when they launch in July. When that order comes to an end in 2014, we have been given the order for NBT-Evo (Evolution). That is $2.2 billion. So that works out to three generations of systems from BMW.

How will you tap a volume market like India without diluting the premium-ness of your brands?

I would rather come from that position than come from the perception of poor, cheap, low technology brand. Over the last five years, we have become a more innovative company than before because we have invested in R&D. About 8-10 percent of our sales revenue goes into R&D. Look around at our competitors, they spend 2-3 percent. Our aim is to build a robust pipeline of patents.

Our next challenge is how to become relevant in India. Which is why during the last five years I have announced to take $400 million permanent cost out on an annual basis. We streamlined operations, shut down inefficient ones in the UK, Germany and the United States.

We have opened seven factories in Hungary, China, Brazil and Ukraine, and opened R&D centres — two each in China and Bangalore. About 250 engineers work in Bangalore on BMW and Daimler projects. Over the last four to five years, we have undertaken reverse engineering, streamlined R&D processes, created scale, reduced SKUs and centralised purchasing. This has enabled us to lower costs by 10-15 percent from what we inherited four to five years ago. So, that allowed us to be successful at Tata Motors. Tata would not pay more than 10-15-20 percent premium.

Are you looking at further localisation?

We are cost-conscious all the time. But what drives me and what drives our labs is price performance. If I can continue to delight you with features which you haven’t thought of earlier, that’s the driving force. Cost is a given.

Is there a target you have set for the team to drive costs down further?

I did. $400 million was a permanent cost reduction target and we exceeded that. For last 10 quarters, our EBITDA has grown 220 percent CAGR, and our topline has grown 20 percent over these 10 quarters. That tells you about our cost culture.

We are leveraging countries like China, India, Brazil, Ukraine and Hungary which we didn’t earlier.

Any plans for a new brand?

We will compete in three stages in automotive — premium – high, mid and entry — where we can differentiate our brand proposition. We are not looking for another brand. We acquired a brand but didn’t keep the name. With that acquisition came two factories, a customer base, distribution channel. Assets are becoming cheaper in US and Europe. We will look for assets to acquire for technology, talent distribution and customers that it offers.

How many Indian OEMs do you supply to?

At present, Tata Motors. We hope to get more. Our global customers like Hyundai and Toyota are growing faster in some segments than pure Indian OEMs.

Do you expect the business mix between Europe and other markets to change?

Our own forecast is that by 2015, at least 25 percent of $ 6 billion in 2015 (projected) will come from BRIC nations. The Russian and Brazil markets are not very big. We have the largest patent portfolio in digital signal processing.

Are celebrities just brand ambassadors for Harman?

We have roped in A R Rahman as our brand ambassador for the next three years not only to endorse our products but optimise them for Indian customers. Incidentally, Sir Paul McCartney, who has never signed up with any company in his life, has signed up with Harman.

Source:
Autocar Professional
 
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
7,026
Likes
2,847
Location
Mumbai
HARMAN to provide India’s Tata Motors with branded audio and infotainment solutions*

STAMFORD, CT / MUMBAI, INDIA – HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR), announced a strategic multi-year relationship to develop and supply branded audio and infotainment solutions for TATA Motors (NYSE:TTM) India’s largest automobile company and parent company of Jaguar Land Rover.* The agreement marks the first time an Indian automaker will bring premium branded audio and infotainment systems to the domestic market.

HARMAN will leverage its world-class engineering and development teams to create custom audio, navigation, and multimedia solutions for vehicles across Tata’s model lines.* The first Tata vehicle to include HARMAN products will be the limited edition TATA Aria MPV, which will include a premium branded audio system under HARMAN’s JBL brand.* The 360-watt JBL sound system features ten speakers with a dedicated subwoofer, and was previewed earlier this year at the New Delhi Auto Expo.

*“This agreement with TATA Motors represents a milestone in the growth of branded audio and infotainment system for the Indian market, and we are tremendously proud and honored to be selected by TATA as their trusted supplier,” said Dinesh Paliwal, HARMAN’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our development teams will work very closely with TATA’s engineering staff to create unique products that will surprise and delight customers. Together, HARMAN and TATA will set a new benchmark in OEM installed sound and infotainment in the domestic Indian market.”


“TATA Motors will intensify the application of the Infotainment and Acoustic Platforms developed by HARMAN and offer world class solutions in this domain in its future Passenger Car platforms both for the Indian and Export Markets. HARMAN’s innovative technologies and large presence in all the premium cars in the world market will help us take our cars to the next level.” said Mr.P.M. Telang, Managing Director – India Operations of Tata Motors.

HARMAN is the leading supplier of advanced connectivity, infotainment, and audio to the world’s automakers, including Audi, BMW, Chrysler, FIAT, Ferrari, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Land Rover, Mercedes Benz, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen.* HARMAN maintains manufacturing and R&D operations around the globe. *

About HARMAN

HARMAN (HARMAN - Premium audio and entertainment for automotive, home, and professional. Speakers, amplifiers, headphones, microphones, home theater and personal audio.) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG Harman Kardon Infinity JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson. The company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.2 billion for twelve months ending December 31, 2011. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Source -http://www.harman.com/EN-US/Newscenter/Pages/TataMotorsApr2012.aspx#.UEMC4GthiSO
 

Top Bottom