Indian Motorcycles rules out possibility of local assembly

- To continue importing motorcycles as CBUs

- Scout Bobber shoots past Scout as the highest-selling model

- Projects 70 to 80 per cent growth next year

Polaris has ruled out the possibility of setting up local assembly for the Indian motorcycle range. The recent drop in duties on completely built units (CBUs) has been beneficial for the company, and it doesn’t make sense to invest in setting up CKD operations, said Mr Pankaj Dubey, country head and MD, Polaris India. 

While the sales of Indian motorcycles dropped by 20 per cent last year, the company is bullish about achieving 70 to 80 per cent growth this year. With the drop in duties, Indian reduced the prices of its motorcycles by up to Rs 3 lakhs. This has already helped boost its sales numbers. As of now, the Scout Bobber has shot past the Scout as the company’s highest selling motorcycle. 

The company recently launched the Roadmaster Elite in India, a limited edition touring motorcycle limited to just 300 units globally. Only two of these have been allocated for India, both of which have been sold. The company will next introduce the Chieftain Elite, another limited edition bike. Polaris will also be setting up three new Indian dealerships in Dehradun, Kochin and Jaipur to improve its footprint in the country. This will take the dealership count to 11. 

Thanks to the limited appeal of its motorcycles, Indian relies heavily on word-of-mouth publicity, and this has been working well for the company. The company conducts several activities for the Indian Motorcycle Riding Group (IMRG), which boost the ownership experience of the motorcycle.