Leading domestic two-wheeler manufacturers such as Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India and Bajaj Auto are set to launch nearly a dozen middleweight motorcycles in the coming months, challenging the dominance of Eicher Motors' Royal Enfield Classic and Bullet's which have been a longtime favourite on Indian roads.
In July, Hero MotoCorp will introduce its first motorcycle developed in collaboration with Harley Davidson. It's set to be among the more affordable products from the American bike maker's stable.
Also on the cards are the next generation KTM 390 Duke from the house of Bajaj, Aprilia RS 440, Yamaha MT-03 and YZF-R3.
While demand for entry-level bikes remained subdued amid weak consumer confidence in rural markets, for premium bikes it has seen a strong rebound among young adults post-pandemic, with two-wheeler aspirants wheels looking to purchase not just their daily commute but the complete motorcycle. experience, which includes Riding Society, goods, accessories and related technologies. Industry stakeholders said this drives two-wheeler manufacturers to work in this category.
In fact, sales of motorcycles with displacements ranging from 250cc to 750cc increased by 38% in the latest fiscal budget, more than double that of the two-wheeler category, data available with the Indian Motorcycle Association shows. Motor Industry (SIAM).
Siddharth Lal, managing director of Eicher Motors, told that India's mid-weight motorcycle market is growing at a fast pace, with the country accounting for half of the two million mid-size motorcycles sold annually the world over.
"If you look at the middleweight class, from the 250cc class to the 750cc class globally, half is from India... If we weren't there, it wouldn't happen because we have 90% of that market. -Lal said... "And we've built this market pretty much from scratch."
Overseas, Royal Enfield has a 10% market share. But Lal said the company "can not only become the leading middleweight in the world, which of course is our ambition, but we can also grow the market from a million to much more, as we have done in India."
To this end, Royal Enfield plans to launch four new products, including the RE Himalayan 450 Roadster and the RE Shotgun 650, in the current financial year, industry sources said.
Hero MotoCorp CEO Niranjan Gupta said: "Premium is growing much faster than the commuter. You can already see that a part of India (has) started to grow and they are starting to spend and are more confident about it."
The Harley Davidson X440, to be built in India by Hero MotoCorp, is the first in a range of products the duo plans to co-develop to expand their footprint in the performance motorcycle segment.
Gupta declined to share details of the products the company is planning in the premium segment, but said: "There will be significant launches that will then ensure that we can build the right premium portfolio and gain market share from that."
Vimal Simply, Business Head (Premium) at TVS Motor, said the premium is the "fundamental pillar" of TVS Motor's growth. “As wealth grows, the underlying ambition drives the need to excel and be part of a like-minded community,” Simpley said, adding that the company is working on continued product interventions, introducing first-class technologies, experiences unique for customers and participation. the community to step up your game at the top of the market.
TVS Motor has only one offering in the midsize segment: Apache RR 310. The company is developing joint platforms that take advantage of emerging technologies with its partner BMW Motorrad. The first car is scheduled to be unveiled this year at a later date.
In the last fiscal year, 791,878 motorcycles with displacements from 250 to 750 cc were sold in the national market, compared to the 574,675 units of the previous fiscal year.
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