Indian assembled Harleys to hit streets soon!

More HOGs on Indian streets is set to become a strong reality very soon, after Harley-Davidson announced its plans to begin assembly of its motorcycles in the country. The move comes as an extension of the commencement of operations in India by the American bikemaker. The company is currently in the process of setting up an assembly plant in Haryana which is expected to be functional in the first half of 2011. The plant will be involved in the assembly of CKD (Complete Knocked Down) units of Harley-Davidson motorcycles which will be imported from USA.

"We are building a strong foundation for our business in India, first by establishing a world-class dealer network, and now by commencing CKD assembly operations.  It is important for us to continue to invest in strategies that make our products and experiences accessible to an increasingly broader set of customers across India," said Anoop Prakash, Managing Director for Harley-Davidson India.

India will be only the second country in the world apart from Brazil to house an assembly plant for Harley-Davidson. Since the launch of its bikes in August 2009, Harley CBUs have been rolling into the country, albeit with a hefty import duty. Once assembly of CKDs of select models produced by Harley-Davidson’s U.S. plants in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Missouri and by the company’s suppliers begins next year, prices of the company’s motorcycles should drop in India, much to the delight of India’s new emerging buying class. Other models will continue to be imported as completely built motorcycles. Harley-Davidson currently offers 12 models in its 2010 line-up in India, available through authorized dealerships in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.