Hero Honda bike sales gap narrows

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) has overtaken Hero MotoCorp Ltd in monthly two-wheeler despatches to the domestic market, securing the leading position in February. The automaker has narrowed the gap with Hero MotoCorp, which is at its lowest-ever market share.

1. Hero MotoCorp’s market share dropped to 28.6 percent from 30.2 percent during April-December 2024.
2. Honda’s market share increased to 27.2 percent from 25.2 percent, narrowing the gap.
3. Honda is closing in on the top spot for the largest market share in India.

Honda Motorcycle narrows gap with Hero: sales figures

The Indian unit of the Japanese auto giant, which recently stated it is on track to capture the largest market share in India, despatched 3.84 lakh two-wheelers in February, surpassing Hero MotoCorp’s 3.57 lakh units. Prior to February, Honda had already outpaced Hero MotoCorp in monthly domestic sales during July and August of this financial year.

While Hero MotoCorp remains the top player in the domestic market for this financial year, Honda has significantly narrowed the gap. Hero MotoCorp’s domestic dispatches from April to February totaled 51.02 lakh units, while Honda followed closely with 49.25 lakh units. The gap between the two now stands at 1.77 lakh units, a significant reduction from 8.90 lakh units in the previous financial year, highlighting Honda’s rapid progress in closing the market share difference.

Hero MotoCorp has faced significant pressure this financial year due to weak demand for its core entry-level motorcycle segment. Meanwhile, Honda has reduced the gap, driven by a revival in scooter sales and increased volumes from models like the Shine 100 and some premium offerings.

Hero’s share of the domestic market wholesale volume dropped to 28.6 percent during the April-December period, down from 30.2 percent in the 2024 financial year. In contrast, Honda increased its share to 27.2 percent, up from 25.2 percent during the same period.

Recently, Minoru Kato, head of Motorcycle Business at Honda Motor Company, stated that the Japanese two-wheeler giant is now well within reach of achieving the largest market share in India.