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Bajaj Auto is planning to launch 6-9 motorcycles in the next 12 months, across its domestic and global markets, said Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director, Bajaj Auto. By the first half of this month, the company also plans to fully transition its motorcycles to BS-6 models.
Bajaj Auto’s objective will be to ensure that the retail sales of its BS-4 stock is completed by March 1, Sharma told BusinessLine. As for the 6-9 launches, it will be addressing the entire spectrum of motorcycles Bajaj Auto is present in, he said.
This is also in line with Bajaj Auto’s new product introduction strategy, which comes even as the automobile industry is grappling with one of the worst slowdowns in recent times.
The BS-6 emission norms will be enforced by April 1, 2020.
The company will not be undertaking any big strategic shifts in 2020, and will be focusing on improving customer propositions in an affordable way as it expects this year also to be a difficult one for the industry, said Sharma.
The investments this year will be directed towards products, innovation, customer experience and digital campaigns, said Sharma. “The central piece of our strategy will continue to be product led - to do smart innovation. The second thing is, we will try to improve the customer experience which we are delivering. We have already undertaken certain initiatives, and I think that will start to bear fruit in 2020,” he said.
Bajaj Auto’s export business, which contributes more than 40 per cent to its business, has also helped the company to alleviate the decline in the domestic motorcycle business, he said. In the month of January, the total exports of the company increased by 15 per cent year-on-year, even as its domestic sales declined by 17 per cent year-on-year.
On the current demand situation in the two wheeler market, Sharma said that the underlying demand is still negative. But, towards the end of January, this has started getting mitigated because of pre-buying ahead of the transition to BS-6 emission norms. People are advancing their purchases keeping in mind the impending price hikes due to BS-6, he said.
During April to January 2020, Bajaj Auto's total sales declined by 5 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
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