Indian Motorcycles eyeing 12 showrooms in India this year

American luxury motorcycle brand Indian Motorcycles, which is currently sold through Polaris in India, has made bold plans for 2016 in the country by targeting a 50 per cent rise in sales. The company also plans to expand its network to a dozen showrooms across major cities in India. The company at present sells the Indian Roadmaster, Chief, Scout, Chieftain, Chief Dark Horse and Chief Vintage among its offerings in the country.

The American manufacturer enjoyed a 15 per cent share of the 1200cc segment last year but has not yet been able to assert its presence on the Indian shores. The presence of just one Indian Motorcycles model among the ZigWheels 2015 Award nominees for performance bikes launched in India last year bears ample testimony to this fact.

Planning to redirect this course, Polaris India managing director Pankaj Dubey told PTI, "Currently, we enjoy 10 per cent of the 1,000 units per annum super premium bikes in the 1,200-cc category. We have set a target of growing our sales by 50 per cent this year and the market share to 15 per cent from the present 10 per cent."

 The company plans to achieve it through an enhanced dealership network in India, upping the ante from the six dealers – across Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, currently. “The new showrooms will come up in Kochi, Pune, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Indore and Goa this year,” informed Dubey.

Indian Motorcycles launched its high-end motorcycle, the 1811cc Blue Diamond Roadmaster, at the 2016 Auto Expo recently, for a sticker price of Rs 38 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), and also announced a new variant of the existing Chief Classic. However, the company has played down any plans for setting shop in India to reduce production costs, like rivals Harley-Davidson.

“The market is too low now and does not justify local assembly. Also, we don't have local spare-parts suppliers, which in fact is the biggest hurdle. Importing all parts and assembling here therefore makes no sense,” concluded Dubey.