Jaguar Land Rover started local production of the Defender 110 at its Pune facility on Tuesday. This move dropped prices by up to Rs 34 lakh. India is now the first market outside Europe to produce this SUV. Rajan Amba said, "The country has embraced Defender for its capability."

With this, India becomes the first market outside Europe for local production of Defender, the company said

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India on Tuesday announced the commencement of local production for the Defender 110 at its Pune manufacturing facility. The move significantly lowers the vehicle's price by up to Rs 34 lakh for the fully loaded top-end version, with the company anticipating up to a 20 per cent uptick in sales volumes as a result.

With this announcement, India becomes the first market outside Europe to locally produce the Defender. Global production will continue at JLR's facility in Nitra, Slovakia, which remains the centre of excellence for Defender and will continue to manufacture global variants including Defender OCTA, Defender 90, and Defender 130.

In the last three and a half years, the company has sold 9,000 units of the Defender in the country.

"The country has embraced Defender for its capability, versatility and unmistakable character. With more than 9,000 Defenders on Indian roads already, and as our highest-selling model, it has moved beyond an SUV to become a cultural icon," said Rajan Amba, Managing Director, JLR India.

"This decision to now manufacture (the vehicle) in Pune reflects the scale of our ambition for India and our confidence in the quality and passion of our team and partners here," he added.

The Defender will be available in the country in both 2.0-litre and 3.0-litre petrol, and 3.0-litre diesel engine variants in the X-Dynamic HSE derivative.

Lennard Hoornik, Chief Commercial Officer, JLR, said, "India's appetite for adventure and modern luxury has never been stronger. Localising the Defender is a pivotal step in our 'Reimagine' strategy and reinforces our commitment to delivering the unrivalled breadth of capability to Indian clients."

"Manufacturing the Defender in Pune enables us to respond faster to demand while maintaining the tough, rugged engineering and reductive design that makes Defender an icon across the globe," he added.