Bajaj Auto will launch its “greatest ever” Pulsar bike by March subsequent yr on its approach to changing into a “highly effective quantity two” participant within the premium bike section, managing director Rajeev Bajaj stated on Tuesday.
He stated that the corporate has plans to introduce upgrades to 6 of the present Pulsar fashions, which fall within the mid-range vary and have engines starting from 125 cc to 200 cc, all of that are scheduled to be launched by March subsequent yr.
Because of this seven Pulsar fashions can be launched in fiscal 2024, together with six upgrades and the “bigger” mannequin.
“We’ve got plans to launch the most important pulsar ever this monetary yr. Presently, the most important pulsars – the F250 and N250 – have 250cc engines… We wish to do it (launch) inside this monetary yr in order that the total good thing about that’s The place progress and profitability can be found to us subsequent yr,” he advised a information channel in an interview.
Within the premium bike section (starting from 200cc to 800cc), Royal Enfield accounted for 82.43 per cent share of gross sales volumes throughout April-August FY24, primarily based on Society of Indian Car Producers knowledge. In the meantime, Bajaj Auto, which has Dominar, Husqvarna, Pulsar F250 and Pulsar N250 in its lineup, accounted for about 10.82 per cent of the premium bike market throughout the identical interval.
Bajaj didn’t reveal the engine capability of the bigger pulsar.
“It’s kind of early to try this,” he famous. Within the premium section, the place bikes are priced above Rs 1.7 lakh, Bajaj Auto bought round 8,000 items per 30 days.
He stated the corporate is able to double its home gross sales within the premium bike section to fifteen,000-20,000 items per 30 days to develop into a “sturdy quantity two” participant available in the market.
To reinforce its premium product vary, the corporate, in partnership with well-liked British bike model Triumph, launched two bikes, Triumph Pace 400 and Scrambler 400
The Pace 400 is offered for buy, and the Scrambler 400
“Presently, Bajaj’s exports are round 10,000 items per 30 days (within the premium bike section). With these new pulsating stars and new victories, we consider we are going to as soon as once more take the exports to fifteen,000-20,000 items per 30 days.”
Is the corporate planning to launch a CNG-powered bike? He replied: “As a motorbike producer, we’re at all times in search of all these applied sciences. It is a diplomatic reply I have to provide you with presently.
He said that entry-level bikes (100cc engines) had been nonetheless below strain for the business however for Bajaj, it was not a “main focus space”.
He stated that the patron who needed to purchase entry-level vehicles was on the backside of the pyramid and this shopper was probably the most affected through the pandemic.
He added that it was doubtless that this shopper was in search of electrical two-wheelers relatively than buying an entry-level inside combustion engine car.
“I don’t suppose this shopper will come again within the close to future,” Bajaj famous, including that “disruptive” measures are wanted within the entry-level ICE market.
“Possibly the CNG Bajaj (entry-level) bike – which cuts folks’s working prices by half – might be the answer with somewhat assist from the federal government,” he added. He stated he has requested the federal government to cut back the GST on CNG-powered bikes to 18 per cent from 28 per cent.
The center marketplace for bikes consists of bikes with engines starting from 125 to 200 cc. Bikes for this section are priced between Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.7 lakh.
“Between now and the top of the monetary yr, and over the subsequent six months, our new choices purpose to strengthen our share on this mid-market section.”
(Tags for translation)Bajaj Auto
