BMW Motorrad have adopted a slow but steady approach to the Indian two-wheeler market, gradually making inroads with consistent sales of their high-end, large capacity motorcycles through a set of trustworthy Indian importers. This German giant remains amongst the last of the ‘big-ticket’ manufacturers to dive into the high volumes Indian market with an earnest game plan, with KTM, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Triumph, MV Agusta and every major Japanese bike maker having all played their cards in our key market, most with grand success stories already sewn-up, or in the making.
It’s an alliance with all the ingredients for grand success, there being no better partner for BMW Motorrad in India than the Hosur based TVS Motor Co., so in what signals exciting times ahead, Indian two-wheeler industry veteran, Cecil Dewars, senior vice president, corporate communications for TVS has confirmed that discussions are currently underway between his company and BMW Motorrad.
It’s still early days, but the sky’s the limit for what can come from this solid a joint venture. On one hand, BMW’s motorcycles—including Husqvarna off-road bikes—are renowned world over for their high quality, built to last a generation reliability and ample performance, while closer to home, anyone who has followed TVS will vouch for their meticulous production practices, rock solid in-house R&D capability, keen understanding of the Indian small capacity two-wheeler market and unparalleled on-and-off road racing expertise within India. TVS know what it takes to tap into the 100-200cc small capacity two-wheeler arena in India, with successful brands like the Scooty, Star and Apache to their credit, while BMW are masters of technology for every perceivable top-end motorcycle including their rugged GS, famous K and supersports S series superbikes. Such a tie-up will fill in the blanks for both manufacturers, while unlocking new market horizons at the same time.
TVS has come in for considerable flack, being seen as overly cautious in recent times, and such a bold move would serve to silence the critics, making it worth the wait before we get to see something spectacular.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
