Yamaha targeting 10 per cent market share in India by 2017

Yamaha Motor India Limited has formulated a new strategy with the aim of doubling its market share by 2017-18. Over the next three years, the Japanese manufacturer will focus on increasing its sales in big cities and boost its market share from just over five per cent to 10 per cent. 

Yamaha has a better exposure in cities because of its wide network as well as because of its brand image in urban areas and the company plans to cash in on this positive perception. Yamaha is currently in the course of reviving and rebuilding the brand image and plans to concentrate on its scooter and 150cc motorcycle range to help it in this process. Mr. Roy Kurian, VP, marketing and sales, Yamaha Motor India, said "We are looking at 10% market share by 2017-18. We are still focusing on 150cc and scooters also. Scooter is another great opportunity as it accounts for 27per cent share of the two-wheeler market." 

Elaborating on the company’s ‘top-down’ approach, Mr. Kurian said that they are going to first focus on increasing volumes in big cities and then look for rural expansion. Adding that the rural market is equally important for them, Mr Kurian said, "Rural market does not define what product we have to sell in the urban market. It is always the urban market which decides what has to be sold in the rural market. If a product is successful in metropolitan cities, tier-I and tier-II, it will surely be accepted in the rural market.” 

Yamaha currently has currently has over 7 per cent market share in the scooter segment and while the sales of scooters is slowly increasing  in the rural areas, urban markets like Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore remain the company’s prime markets. The company also has plans to aggressively expand its network across the country. Yamaha currently has over 1,400 touch points including dealers, branches and Yamaha Bike Corner which it plans to increase to 2,000 in the next two years.