In a continuation of the many top global auto brands entering India in recent times, iconic British motorcycle maker Triumph has announced plans to roll into the country by early 2012.
Entry pricing for the premium bike-maker is expected to be around Rs 8-9 lakh (local taxes and 60 per cent customs duty for fully built units included), as its UK range starts with the Bonneville at £6,100. However, according to a company official, Triumph is also considering opening its own assembly plant in order to avoid the higher taxation.
“India is a very important motorcycle market and Triumph has assessed it carefully before deciding to step in. We see it as the next step in our global business model,” Mr Nick Bloor, CEO of Triumph Motorcycles, UK, said in a statement.
It will initially look to launch 6-8 models out of its complete total range of 20 bikes which includes cruisers, classics and naked sports bikes.
Triumph, through its fully-owned subsidiary, is targeting to have 6-10 dealerships in the country, with most of these coming up in the first year itself. It has also appointed Mr Ashish Joshi as its Managing Director for India. Mr Joshi was previously heading the European operations for Royal Enfield and had established the company's business in Europe.
Import Vs assembling
“We're investigating how to get our products here. We could initially look to import fully assembled models from our plant in the UK and Thailand, but we understand that the taxation is very high. We're studying whether to import kits and assemble them locally,” company spokesperson, Mr Paul Taylor told Business Line over the phone from the UK.
In India, the second fastest growing auto market globally which also boasts of a huge biking culture, Triumph will join the likes of premium bike-makers such as Harley-Davidson, Ducati, BMW Motorrad, Aprilia and Hyosung. It will also compete with the premium models from Yamaha, Suzuki and Honda.
Established in 1902, Triumph manufactures around 50,000 bikes a year at its plants in Hinckley, Leicestershire and Chonburi, Thailand.