Scooters grab 25 per cent market share in the two-wheeler market

While the Hero Splendor continued to dominate the two-wheeler sales chart in the last fiscal year, the number two on the list startled us all. Honda Activa trumped the hugely popular Hero Passion to capture the second spot on the list. Though it wasn’t the pioneer of the segment, the Activa has been credited with resurrecting the dying scooter market. A slew of trendy and modern scooters joined the Activa in the onslaught in the past few years, getting the scooter segment hold a 25 per cent share of the total two-wheelers sold in the country. 

In FY14, more than 36 lakh scooters were sold in the Indian market, registering a 23 per cent growth over FY13. The share has gone up from 14 per cent in FY13 to 25 per cent in the last fiscal which means that every one in four two-wheelers sold in the country is a scooter. 

A few years ago, the word scooter conjured up the image of a big heavy ‘uncle’s vehicle’ to the mind. Now though, scooters have made a big transition as they have become more user-friendly and feature loaded. Though the segment does have some gender and age-specific scooters, the scooters have become easy to use for all. 

Their usability makes them the preferred mode of travel in urban settings and for small distance commute. Families generally prefer buying a scooter as its ease of use and practicality makes it suitable for every member of the family (except the dog, of course).  Besides, modern scooters have some handy touches like extra storage space and mobile charger, which increases their utility. 

Since the Honda Activa was launched back in 2001, many manufacturers have entered the lucrative segment, though they have failed to come close to Honda. Hero MotoCorp recently introduced their new range of electric scooters and has also been experimenting with their hybrid offering, the Leap, which will go on sale next year. Piaggio recently introduced the Vespa lifestyle brand with the intent to cash in on the success of scooters in India and other manufacturers like Yamaha and Mahindra are also focusing on developing scooters. The segment has a huge potential and we are sure that the market share will continue to grow.