[DCEite]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Because there is no national language in India. Hindi is just another language like Tamil, Telugu, etc.

Courts have ruled it long back: http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...language-hindi

He has already apologized for it.
Please.

[Roomy]

Before we deviate from the topic of naming cars, let me chip in with my thoughts on why Indian car makers shy away from doing so.

The 'Upmarket' feel of such an angrezi name has already been explained well enough.
I feel the naming convention is also down to the fact that the models being launched by Indian makers are meant for the international market and giving them an english name which a large chunk of people all over the world can understand without having an element of confusion. I agree carmakers around the world do give localized names, but this won't work in India.

Case in point, the discussion going on in the thread on what is the national language, the equality of all languages, etc.
If a manufacturer comes with a Hindi name(For example's sake), I am pretty sure a lot of people would start questioning why the car does not have a name pointing to the founder's roots/plant location, etc.
India is a large country, with a lot of diversity. A safe approach is what the car makers are taking to avoid any allegations of vested interests/nepotism/conspiracy theory.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by DCEite

He has already apologized for it.
Please.

I didn't know that when I was posting. Check the timestamp, just few minutes difference.

[vinya_jag]

Exactly my thoughts, was actually wondering why Tata would name its new cars 'Vista', 'Bolt', 'Nut' etc
They had this nice theme going when they launched the Indica platform'

Indica - India Car
Indiva - India Van
Indigo - Maybe to rhyme with it.

The later names feel stupid. Why would you name a car 'Zest', or a 'Bolt'? It would have been far more sensible if the names were something Indian.
Yes, need not be Hindi. But something to match the local taste.

Most Italian supercars have an Italian Name. Aventedor, Testarosa etc. Is it because, they are proud of what they produce? And I guess to also associate Italian-ness with the car.

Agree most cars manufactured in India are heavily sourced from outside. But still, I fail to understand these disastrous names.

Check these missile names:
Akash
Trishul
Nag
Prithvi Missile Series
Agni Missile Series
K Missile Series
Shaurya
Brahmos
Prahaar
Astra

If missile names can be so destructive just by their Indian names, why can we find something similar for cars?

[shankar.balan]

Well said indeed.
India's 'communication' is held together by a common, inherited lingua franca, English, the language of business.
Vast swathes of India do not understand or recognize Hindi as the 'National language'.
If anything, most of our languages and dialects have some amount of common roots with Sanskrit, but unfortunately Sanskrit is as dead as the proverbial Dodo.
Time that we accepted the truth about our lingua franca instead of behaving like a bunch of Ostriches and yelling hoarse about the ' National Language'!

Originally Posted by Samurai

It will be very hard to come up with names that are acceptable across the whole country. What sounds beautiful in one language may be incomprehensible in another language. Keep in mind we don't have one language that is understood in the whole country. Only English comes close.

What happens in non-Hindi states then?

Because there is no national language in India. Hindi is just another language like Tamil, Telugu, etc.

Courts have ruled it long back: http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...language-hindi

[SmartCat]

Verdenchi Motorcycles have found a great balance.

Sounds Italian. But is actually a Desi name.

Quoting from their website -
http://www.v-chi.in/our-story.html

Vardenchi in Marathi means, ‘Of’ the Varde or, ‘Belonging’ to the Varde

.

The name of the promoter is Akshay Varde.

Smart huh?

[veyron_head]

This thread probably belongs in the shifting gears section

[one-77]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Verdenchi Motorcycles have found a great balance.

Sounds Italian. But is actually a Desi name.

Quoting from their website -
http://www.v-chi.in/our-story.html


The name of the promoter is Akshay Varde.

Smart huh?

Off topic, but that explains why the bikes look so awful.
After going through the pics in the Auto Expo thread, I was appalled to think the Italians could make automobiles so vulgar.
Thanks for reinstating my faith in Italian design.

[mmxylorider]

since vehicles have essentially been a pure luxury to own, a premium name lends itself to maintaining that image. It's just become a convention to give names that are easier to speak/write in English.

The Italians are probably having a similar discussion on why a premium car maker names them after bulls!

[Sanjunair5]

Slightly OT - Tata Safari was sold in Europe (or UK alone?) as Tata Gurkha. Indian names outside India?

[ganesc]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

Ah someone else has also thought about this!

Have you seen any kids (Born after 2000) speak in their mother-tongue with each other?
We(most of us) always think that something from a foreign land/Something Imported is always better that something local(unfortunately it is true in most of the cases but not always)
We(most of us) see people talking in mother toungue as inferior compared to someone who can speak in English(even it if contains tons of slang)
Its hard to digest, but this is how we have evolved. Factor in the influence of British rule too.

As you said, we Indians don't easily take pride in something "local"!

+1

KSRTC in Karnataka has some good names to their bus services which can easily be used as vehicle names (If some OE wants to) like,

• Airavatha (Indra's white elephant)
• Rajahamsa (King Swan)
• Mayura (Peacock)

I did not know the meanings of these but I always liked them against any English names. Thanks for sharing the meaning.
Also I like Rajdhani and shatabdi that somehow sounds royal (I don't know Hindi and its meaning though).

Originally Posted by DCEite

There are two things, First , Indians in general have a tendency to view objects with foreign names as "premium". This point is already elaborated in earlier posts.

Secondly, we have so many regional languages and a person down south may not understand what a "Chutki Gaadi" and a person up north may not relate well with "Thalaiva Gaadi". So the appeal of teh name won't be pan India.

+1.
O.T: Tata Ace is popularly called as Kutti Yaanai (Small Elephant) in TN due to the TV advt.

Originally Posted by vinya_jag

Exactly my thoughts, was actually wondering why Tata would name its new cars 'Vista', 'Bolt', 'Nut' etc
They had this nice theme going when they launched the Indica platform'

Indica - India Car
Indiva - India Van
Indigo - Maybe to rhyme with it.

The later names feel stupid. Why would you name a car 'Zest', or a 'Bolt'? It would have been far more sensible if the names were something Indian.
Yes, need not be Hindi. But something to match the local taste.

Most Italian supercars have an Italian Name. Aventedor, Testarosa etc. Is it because, they are proud of what they produce? And I guess to also associate Italian-ness with the car.

I was thinking the same after this Auto Expo and after watching an old series of Top Gear that had Lambo's. Looks like Auto Expo especially Tata cars unveiled made many think of it.

Too bad that we don't feel proud of owning anything Indian compared to Foreign items. This may have made Tata to come out of their "INDI" tags.

Ertiga - Another example that comes to my mind having non-english/non-local name. 3 rows in Indonesian.

From Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzuki_Ertiga

The Suzuki Ertiga, basically meaning Swift with three rows in Indonesian, is a seven-seat compact MPV developed by the Japanese manufacturer Suzuki and its Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by PVS

Interesting - In the US, auto manufacturers have a tendency to name some of their vehicles after places:
Hyundai - Tucson, Santa Fe
Kia - Sedona
Toyota - Avalon.. and so on and so forth..

I have always wondered, why Indian manufacturers (or Korean or the Japs manufacturing in India) never named any of their vehicles after places..

Say a Maruti - Chennai or a Hyundai - Mumbai??
Mahindra - Thar is an exception though!!

Actually, we do have one. Hyundai Verna
On a serious note, Mahindra Thar

[deep_bang]

I think it is possible to choose good indian names and it will happen in due course. For example how about TVS Veer instead of TVS victor? As someone mentioned all our defence projects have an Indian name and they feel great. Dhruv is the advanced light helicopter, and there are names like tejas, agni etc.

A Hyundai verna "Jal" sounds better than a lame fluidic verna.

[bobbafett]

I think this naming stuff in foreign language is down to some residual inferiority complex stubbornly imbibed in the Indian psyche from the days of the oppressive colonial rule by the British. Also I don't buy the theory that it's because there is no common language across the country, because even if there is not - there is no shortage of shared experiences and shared consciousness among Indians. The Mahindra Thar is a great example. Pride comes when one is devoid of inferiority towards ones identity as well as towards ones work. A little bit of both is missing I think. Whereas, if you look at the armed forces - there is a feeling of pride imbibed culturally - thus even often renaming foreign products with Indian names and being cool with it.

Certainly in Indian mythology, there is no shortage of inspiration for ultra cool names for automotive (or otherwise) products.

[wilful]

I don't think naming cars in Hindi or Tamil or Oriya would make the slightest difference to the fortunes of the product or our national pride. if a product is good, priced well and marketed sensibly, it will sell well. That we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.