The country’s second largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, Bajaj Auto, is looking to ride to the global top spot by 2015.
Honda Motor Corp of Japan is currently the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, with its joint venture company, Hero Honda, the market leader in
India.
“Our aim over the next five years would surely be to try to become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world,” said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto. “Currently Honda makes around 6-8 million motorcycles annually, while we produce around 3 million. Our mission is to specialise Bajaj as a motorcycle manufacturer. Every day we ask ourselves whether we can be the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.”
Bajaj also makes autorickshaws, in which it is already the global market leader.
In the domestic market of approximately 6 million motorcycles annually, Hero Honda has a 60 per cent market-share, and Bajaj a distant second with 20 per cent. Adding on Honda subsidiary Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India’s 6 per cent market-share, Bajaj’s target appears a distant dream.
But he differs: “Our target is very achievable but depends on whether we have good ideas and whether we can execute them well.”