Ford has an uphill drive in India after snapping ties with Mahindra

Lack of scale despite a quarter century in India could stall its growth in the market after the break-up with Mahindra & Mahindra

Bajaj Group patriarch Rahul Bajaj best described the nature of auto joint ventures (JVs) over a decade ago on the sidelines of an industry conference in New Delhi. "Anytime, there's a tie-up between an Indian and a foreign company, this is what inevitably happens. The foreign player thinks they are superior because they bring in global knowhow and technology to the table. The Indian partner thinks they have the upper hand, because, after all, they are at home and know their market better than anyone else. But even if those notions get resolved, creating a single culture is almost impossible."