Bikes

M&M in global tie-up talks for premium bikes for Indian market UK's Triumph, Italy's Moto Guzzi some of the in fray for high-end Bikes.

Guzzi Bike

Mahindra & Mahindra is under stood to be in discussions with Italian and British two-wheeler players to develop premium bikes for the Indian market. Top officials close to the development said Triumph and Moto Guzzi are some of the companies that M&M has held talks with. M&M had recently moved into the two-wheeler space by acquiring Pune based Kinetic and is planning to launch products on its own in the mid-segment of the motorcycle market. However the company is keen to have a global tie-up for the hi-end of the market which is very image-conscious. When contacted, senior company officials declined to divulge details of the hi-end two-wheeler players.

Guzzi Bike

The two-wheeler arm of M&M which started retailing gear-less scooters from September last year sold around 10,000 units in January after averaging sales of 15,000 unit\month by April this year. "We have achieve an unprecedented milestone of selling 10,000 vehicles in the month of January within 4 months of our scooter portfolio. In a relatively short time, we have developed a robust system which is poised to deliver a sustainable growth path," said Anoop Mathur, president, Two Wheeler Sector, M&M.

Guzzi Bike

The 80:20 joint venture between M&M and the Kinetic group is getting ready to launch a mid segment motorcycle followed by the hi-end bike this year. The mid segment motorcycle to have an engine size of 110-1.25cc will be made at the company's Pithampur plant. "The mass motorcycle is being developed ground up by M&M together with Italy based Engines Engineering and Taiwan's Sanyang Industry Co Ltd (SYM).

Guzzi Bike

The premium bike will be a collaborative effort as the branding and image associated with it, is important, "said Mr. Mathur. Currently M&M's scooter portfolio the Rodeo, Duro and Flute. The company is working on a product from the Kinetic line-up, called the Kine. The other models from the Kinetic stable, including the 4S, Nova which M&M made in small volumes have now been completely stopped, Mr Mathur said. The two wheeler arm has begun sourcing components from China. "We do a cost benefit analysis for every component or sub-assembly, based on quality, cost and delivery. Depending on what makes sense for the business, we source it a accordingly," said Mr. Mathur.

Guzzi Bike

The acquisition of Kinetic Motors for Rs 11 crore in July 2008 by M&M was prompted by the auto-to-IT group's desire to straddle the entire auto business. A rejuvenated Mahindra 2 Wheeler face formidable competition from global players Honda and Suzuki, which control the domestic scooter market. To tackle competition from global brands, Mahindra 2 Wheeler will bank on strong in house design, product development competencies and marketing initiatives. With the introduction of the Rodeo and the Duro, M&M created a new market segment for power scooters in India.