Volkswagen (VW) and Tata Motors called off plans to team up in India after five months, marking the German vehicle maker’s second failure to secure a partner for budget cars. The anticipated cost savings and technical synergies from a tie-up fell short of expectations, the Indian car maker and VW’s Skoda unit, which was leading the talks, said on Thursday. While there is no deal for now, the companies said they could revive co-operation efforts in the future if the conditions arose. "We have concluded that the strategic benefits for both parties are below the threshold levels," Tata CEO Guenter Butschek said in a statement. "However, we remain positive of exploring future opportunities with the Volkswagen group." For VW, the end of the talks represents another setback in its quest to create vehicles thrifty enough to appeal to buyers in countries like India. VW’s previous attempt to conquer emerging markets through a small-car partnership with Japanese vehicle maker Suzuki unravelle...
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