TATA not Tesla… as ‘17 will be the golden age for India.

I’ve written and spoken extensively about Tesla. As of writing this, the stock is trading at $192, Musk still thinks he’ll produce 500,000 vehicles by 2018 and have a model 3 delivered. None of those will materialize and I would stick a 12-month price target between 175-190.

We could possibly see a major shift from the green economy to the oil economy with incoming president Donald Trump already signalizing seismic shifts from his predecessors’ policies on drilling, pipelines and green subsidies. Where Tesla stumbles, TATA the Indian automaker and industrial powerhouse will benefit. 

You won’t see very many TATA branded products in North America but you are probably familiar with Jaguar Land Rover which TATA bought from Ford Motors in 2008. The Jaguar brand will be one of the driving forces behind this stocks rise in 2017, as it continues its impressive turn-around and development of game-changing new vehicles. The Jaguar I-Pace Concept has the potential along with the BMW i-series to be the Tesla killer. 

On my last trip to India in 2008, it was difficult to navigate the streets that were clogged with tuk-tuks, motorbikes, cars, busses and yes cows, all trying to share the road. It was the quintessential economic, cultural and class struggle that has plagued India for decades. But, the tide is changing and real fast. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading an anti-corruption crusade not seen since maybe something out of Gotham City. His economy first agenda is unprecedented and he will be fearless in his legislative action to unshackle the economy from all of the “Baksheesh” best translated as common and ubiquitous bribery.  Most economists are projecting 7%+ GDP in 2017. 

This will be the year for India, and the best company (available on North American markets) to reap the benefits is Tata Motors. The company is dual listed in Mumbai on the BSE and in New York, ticker TTM. Another way to play India is the MSCI India Index ETF which counts Tata Motors in their top 10 holdings. 

TATA's price as of publishing is $35.64. My price target is $42.00-$44.00 (plus a great deal of currency tailwinds from the USD/CAD)