The internet is rich with speculations surrounding Bajaj’s plans for introducing the Husqvarna brand in the Indian market. Now though, Bajaj’s head honcho has officially confirmed that the Swedish bike manufacturer will make its Indian debut in January 2017.
At the company’s annual general meeting, Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto revealed aggressive portfolio expansion plans over the next three years with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore. These expansion plans include the introduction of Husqvarna in India, most likely positioned above the KTM brand. Husqvarna is owned by Stefan Pierer, CEO, KTM, and is currently developing new models in preparation of its resurrection on a global level. The brand’s current portfolio only consists of hardcore off-road, supermoto and dual sport bikes, though new mass market models are soon expected to join the line-up.
As the upcoming Vitpilen 401 is going to be built in India alongside the KTM Duke range, we can safely assume it to be among the first Husqvarna models to go on sale here. This bike will be based on the new Duke 390’s single-cylinder platform and is a café racer iteration of the streetfighter. Earlier this year, Bajaj launched the V15 commuter bike, which will now be followed by the Pulsar CS400 next month. Click here to read more about the Bajaj Pulsar CS400 launch in India.