Tata Motors, a brand that is a true #vocalforlocal automaker in India, has a long history. Today, we have gathered here at the altar, remembering one of the most iconic cars of the lineup, the Tata Sumo. There’s no one in the country who has not heard the name. We are not going to take a look at the evolution of Sumo here, that, we have already done! Missed it?
Take a look: The TATA Sumo | India’s Legendary People Mover
Today, we are going to dwell into the past and see how the Tata Sumo got its name. Let’s get started.
SUMO: Japanese Form of Wrestling
It is a form of competitive form of wrestling in Japan. In this game, a Rikishi (Wrestler) has to force his opponent out of a circular ring by pushing him down. It is the national sport of Japan and has a huge fan base in the country. This form of sports dates back to 1185 and has been same since then.
Well, many think that the Tata Sumo got its name from the sport. Tata Sumo has been a symbol of power and ruggedness. So, this is what leads to people making the link between its name and Japanese wrestling.
So, What’s exactly behind the name?
Tata Motors was known as TELCO back in the days. Sumant Moolgaokar was the CEO of Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO).
During the lunch hours, Sumant used to go outside the office somewhere unknown to his colleagues. The top management became suspicious of his disappearance. Some thought that a few Tata dealers are trying to bribe him by providing him lunch at a 5-star hotel. So, a campaign to find the truth was initiated. Sumant was under the radar.
One fine day, the management decided to follow Sumant while he went outside the premises. But what they found was a completely different scenario.
What did they find?
Instead of finding his car parked outside a fancy five-star hotel, Sumant’s car was standing in the open parking of a highway Dhaba. He was having lunch with some truck drivers.
This is when the management found out that Sumant was actually going a step forward taking feedback from the truck drivers about the Tata trucks in order to find out the problems. He was then acting according to the problems reported by the drivers. He would get back to the office after lunch and share his findings with the R&D team of TELCO.
Tata Sumo: The real reason behind the name!
Su-mant Mo-olgaokar, initials of his name are what inspired the name of the SUV. His vision and dedication are what has led to the R&D of Tata Motors scale heights. He was later awarded the Padma Bhushan award, the third-highest civilian honour by the Government of India in 1990.
Have an interesting story about any car’s name? Let us know in the comments section below.
My dad had owned since 1998 to 2003 still fresh in my nastogic memory
Will Tata relaunch 7seater sumo
The real people mover
very nicely articulated.