Hero MotoCorp has entered into a partnership with Al Futtaim group to set up shop in the Gulf countries. Hero’s first showroom in the region was inaugurated earlier this month in Dubai, along with the launch of seven models.
The next set of showrooms in the region will come up in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. For now, the company’s portfolio will consist of the Karizma R, Pleasure, Hunk, Glamour, Thriller Sport, Duet and the Dash.
Based out of Dubai, UAE, the Al Futtaim group is a conglomerate which is into integrated commercial, industrial, and services business. It also has partnership with Toyota, Lexus and Hino trucks to sell their cars and commercial vehicles in the UAE.
Hero MotoCorp has been on an expansion spree since its split from long-time joint venture partner, Honda. It currently sells its products in 33 countries across the world. With four manufacturing plants in India and one in Colombia, Hero is in the process of setting up a new facility in Bangladesh.
Given that the Gulf countries already have a large Indian population which can associate with the brand, Hero shouldn’t have a problem in building its brand in this region. Nevertheless, company has also been associating itself with various disciplines of sports like golf, cricket, field hockey and football to help build its image on a global scale.