Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India is hoping to launch the second phase of its second facility at Tapukara in Rajasthan by March 2012. Phase I, which is to be officially launched next month, will have an initial production capacity of six lakh units. This will be stepped up to produce 12 lakh units in the second phase, said Mr Naresh Kumar Rattan, Operating Head — Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycles.
According to him, the second phase will involve an investment of Rs 400 crore (over the first phase investment of Rs 460 crore).
Currently, the company's facility at Manesar in Haryana produces 16 lakh units a year.
With the new facility going on stream, the company expects to cut down the long waiting period for its scooters and bikes (predominantly, Activa scooters). “We sell on an average 55,000 Activa scooters a month, and the current waiting period for the scooter is over three months,” he said.
The company today showcased its new bike ‘CBR 250R', which also marks the company's foray into the 250 cc segment. Including this, Honda has three scooters and seven bikes in its portfolio.
Overall, Honda sold 16.58 lakh units during 2010-11. Of this, 55 per cent was from scooters and 45 per cent from the bikes segment. For the current financial year, it plans to sell “at least 21 lakh units”, said Mr Rattan.
It has also announced that it will set up another facility in Karnataka very soon.