India's largest automotive manufacturer, Tata Motors Limited, on Wednesday said it will launch its 1400cc 'Indica' family car in China 'very soon' and was closely evaluating the best options to penetrate into the world's fastest growing auto market.

The company is also looking at launching a range of commercial vehicles in China as part of the plans to go global, senior company executives said in Beijing.

"We have plans to bring Indica to China very soon," divisional manager, passenger car business unit of Tata Motors Limited, Ravi N Uchil said.

Uchil said the company was currently conducting a through market study on how to enter the Chinese market.

He said the company was looking at various options available to it either through a joint venture partner or independently.

A final decision on the route to be taken to enter China would be firmed up after studying all aspects of the market study, he said.

The Indica model would be promoted as a family car in China at an 'affordable price,' he said, adding that research has indicated that there is a growing demand for family cars in the world's most populous nation.

The company is also displaying an Indica model at the second 'Made In India Show,' jointly organised by the CII and the Indian Embassy, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

The company was also looking at sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from the Tata stable, which might be popular among Chinese auto buyers, he said.

Another Tata executive expressed high hopes on the Chinese market while pointing out to the latest automobile manufacturing statistics.

China is currently the third largest producer of automobiles after the United States and Japan. Last year, China overtook Germany in overall automobiles volumes, Ravindra Pant, regional head of Tata Motors Limited in China, said.

He also noted that China is expected to overtake Japan in automobile volumes in 2007 with as much as 6 million units.

Thus, Pant said that Tata Motors would like to be in the China market in the near future.

"We are currently in the process of evaluating markets here in China with respect to our product portfolio," he said when asked about the possible launch of other vehicles from the company.

Incidentally, Tata Group Chairman, Ratan Tata had paid his first official visit to China in January this year to understand the working of the Chinese market.