Tata Group long has been one of India's most successful enterprises, a family-owned industrial conglomerate with its fingers in many aspects of a booming Indian economy. That included Tata Motors, which made (mostly) inexpensive little cars, including the "world's cheapest," the Nano.

But when Tata took over Jaguar Land Rover by buying the double-headed bastion of Britishness from Ford for $2.3 billion in June 2008, few western analysts gave the company a chance of succeeding where a huge American auto company had not been able to. Previous forays by powerhouse companies from emerging markets buying western outfits hadn't fared well, including Tata Steel's own acquisition of Corus Steel in 2007.

Doubters sniffed that Tata Chairman Ratan Tata, a car buff, had become too enamored of buying global brands, as Tata acquired Tetley Tea, Daweoo Commercial Vehicles, and the Pierre Hotel in New York. But Tata Motors has confounded those skeptics.Continue reading...

Mad Men season five debuts tonight in the U.K. on Sky, and marketers are lining up to produce 60's-style commercials. According to Campaign (where you can watch a couple of the retro spots), marketers climbing into the wayback machine include American Airlines, the British Milk Marketing Forum, Fairy liquid, Cadbury's Milk Tray, Tetley, Citroën, and Kit Kat.

* Burger King introduces The King in the UK.

* Ford plans to get Lincoln dealers fired up about the brand.

* GE and PepsiCo are among firms recognized for global sustainability efforts by the U.S. government.

* Google and Adobe applaud Apple’s relaxation of restrictions on apps development.

* Honda's CR-Z is coming to a 3D billboard in Times Square.

* Kimberly-Clark UK releases slimline Kleenex Pockets for men.Continue reading...

The FCC calls off network neutrality talks as Google and Verizon deny a New York Times report that they're in "secret talks" about a unified tiered approach to online bandwidth management, although the FT hears that such an agreement is indeed imminent.

GM dangles a lifetime warranty for its Opel and Vauxhall brands to European car-buyers (the continent's first such offer) — "lifetime" meaning up to 100,000 miles, that is. GM CEO Ed Whitacre, meanwhile, says he welcomes an IPO to shake "Government Motors" nickname while Ford receives a new federal loan guarantee.

Add Lebanon to the list of countries contemplating a BlackBerry blackout over security concerns, with Saudi Arabia's ban taking effect tomorrow — although 11th hour talks are under way. Bloomberg reports that U.S. and Canadian government officials are now involved in Research in Motion's talks with skittish foreign governments, with the BBC noting that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will discuss the BlackoutBerry crisis with the UAE.

BP finished pumping cement into its damaged Gulf of Mexico oil well to seal it off.

News from Chevrolet, Adobe, Pfizer and more after the jump.Continue reading...

Lady Gaga teamed with Armani for her American Idol debut.

Altria raises prices on cigarette brands following Marlboro growth.

AT&T extends iPhone exclusive through 2011.

Beef producers go lean in new campaign.

Best Buy smashes UK sales records.Continue reading...