We should have never gone to the commuter bike side, says Anand Mahindra
Mahindra Two-wheelers, a part of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, did not achieve the desired sales numbers. The company’s portfolio stretched from commuters to premium-segment Mojo.
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Recently, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra, admitted that the company’s entry into the commuter bike segment over a decade ago was a failure on the part of the group. The commuter (motorcycle) segment is heavily dominated by Hero MotoCorp (Splendor) and Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (CB Shine).
Mahindra Two-wheelers managed to sell 4,004 units in FY19, finishing just above India Kawasaki Motors who clocked 3,115 units during the same period.
Speaking at an event organised by British carrier Virgin Atlantic, Anand Mahindra said:
We knew our dream well and we had the right things, but how to win is where we went wrong. We should have never gone to the commuter bike side.
While Mahindra Two-wheelers suffered miserably in the motorcycle and scooter segments of the Indian market, Classic Legends – a subsidiary of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group – is showing promising performance. It has been over a year since Classic Legends re-introduced Jawa branded motorcycles in the Indian market, and they have received positive feedback from the buyers. In fact, the Jawa motorcycles still command a waiting period in the range of three to nine months.
Classic Legends have acquired rights to manufacture and sell Yezdi and BSA motorcycles, although their Indian launch details are yet to be announced. Anand Mahindra added that the company will soon launch BSA bikes.
Classic Legends' current portfolio comprises three motorcycles – Jawa Classic, Forty-Two and Perak. The first two products were launched in November last year, while the Perak arrived exactly a year later. The company will start accepting the bookings for the Perak from January 2020, while the deliveries will start in April.
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All three Jawa products are placed in the Royal Enfield dominated (350-500 cc) segment. The Jawa Classic and the Forty-Two, similar to the Royal Enfield’s Classic 350, are available in single-channel and dual-channel ABS versions. The Perak bobber, on the other hand, is only listed in dual-channel ABS trim.
[Source: PTInews.com]