Around a month ago, Vimal Sumbly resigned from his position as Managing Director at Triumph Motorcycles India. In his five-year stint with the British brand, he helped the company become one of the most successful performance two-wheeler brands in India.
It has now been confirmed that Sumbly has been appointed as Head of Royal Enfield’s Asia-Pacific operations. This move has not come as a surprise – there were rumours about his ties with Royal Enfield since the day he left Triumph. Although there was speculation that he might join Harley-Davidson to lead its India operations. We believe Sumbly will play a big part in the company’s plans for global expansion.
Speaking of global expansion, Royal Enfield is currently gearing up to launch its new twin-cylinder, 650cc motorcycles both globally and in India by the end of this year.
To recap some of Vimal Sumbly’s achievements, in 2014, Triumph recorded its highest-ever global sales figures in 30 years, reaching a volume of 54,432 units. The Indian market, under Sumbly, recorded sales of 1,300 motorcycles in the first year after launch, becoming a key contributor to this number. Since its launch in India, the British brand has a customer base of over 4,500, making it one amongst the biggest players in the premium motorcycle segment.
Ved Janve
Dinshaw Magol
