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New Delhi: Tata Motors is preparing to use technology from China’s Chery for its premium Avinya electric vehicle brand, according to a Reuters report based on people familiar with the matter. The plan could help India’s largest electric carmaker get its delayed premium EV roadmap moving again.

The first Avinya model based on Chery’s platform is expected in 2027, with a second EV planned for 2029. Tata has said it will use the Freelander platform made through the Chery and Jaguar Land Rover joint venture in China, and the cars will be manufactured at its new factory in Tamil Nadu.

Tata’s Avinya plan gets a China tech twist

The story is interesting for one big reason. Tata’s original plan was to use Jaguar Land Rover’s electrified modular architecture for Avinya models targeted around 2025. That plan changed after JLR shelved plans to build EMA-based EVs in India, Reuters had earlier reported.

Now Chery enters the picture. The Chinese carmaker will supply the platform to Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles under a separate commercial agreement. For Tata, this gives access to ready EV technology at a time when the premium electric car market is starting to heat up.

First Avinya EV expected in 2027

The first Avinya model on the Chery platform will be shipped from China as a kit and assembled in India. Local sourcing work is already underway, according to the report.

The plan currently includes:

• One Avinya EV in 2027
• Second Avinya EV in 2029
• Scope for two more vehicles later
• Manufacturing at Tata’s Tamil Nadu plant

This gives Tata a faster route to market. Developing a clean-sheet EV platform can take years and lots of money. Licensing a proven platform can cut time, though it may raise questions around localisation, margins and long-term technology control.

Why Tata needs new premium EVs quickly

Tata still leads India’s electric passenger vehicle market, but rivals are getting closer. Mahindra is pushing hard with born-electric SUVs, and JSW MG Motor already has a stronger EV portfolio across price points.

Electric models make up 14 percent of Tata’s total sales, with the company targeting 30 percent by 2030. That is a big jump. To get there, Tata needs fresh EVs beyond its current mass-market line-up.

This is where Avinya becomes key for Tata.

Indian carmakers lean on Chinese EV know-how

The Reuters report points to a wider shift in the auto industry. Indian carmakers are tapping Chinese EV technology through platform deals, even as direct Chinese investment remains sensitive in India after tighter rules came in from 2020.

Chery is China’s largest car exporter and has grown quickly across Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. It already works with JLR in China, including on the revived Freelander brand.