Bajaj Auto is the country’s second largest motorcycle maker, which is expecting to sell more than 40 lakh units of their vehicles in the current fiscal year that ends in March. The targeted number of volumes will see participation of motorcycles and three-wheelers sold in the domestic market as well as export markets. However, the manufacturer expects the margins to get narrower in the coming days because of the high commodity price pressures. Bajaj Auto sold 9,61,330 units of vehicles in the quarter ended September, which showed an 8 percent fall compared to the previous year.
Of late Bajaj Auto has set aggressive strategies to achieve significant market share in the coming months. The company had already announced introduction of several variants of their popular motorcycle, Discover, which have gradually started rolling out starting from the Discover 100M. These variants vary from each other and are based on different platforms, targeted to a discrete audience. Another focus of the manufacturer is on the performance oriented Pulsar range.
Bajaj Auto will introduce a sub-200cc Pulsar and the range topping Pulsar 375 in the near future. Along with the two-wheeler segment, Bajaj Auto is also concentrating on the quadricycle segment, which is yet to be implemented in the Indian market. The company has showcased the RE60 quadricycle at the 2012 Auto Expo, intended to start a new segment and a safer alternative to a three-wheeler. While some carmakers are against the move, some are supporting the quadricycle concept. If it gets a right direction, Bajaj Auto can expect further increase in volumes in the next couple of years.
Bajaj Auto is betting heavily on exports and expects every second bike produced in India to be exported by 2015. The company has ranked sixth amongst the ten top motorcycle sellers in Africa. The automaker sold more than 6 lakh units in Africa last year with the Boxer (100cc and 150cc) contributing to the stupendous volumes. The Bajaj Boxer has 90% market share in Uganda, 40% in Nigeria, while in Angola and Kenya they have 35% and 30% market share respectively. Bajaj Auto is known for its timely service in Africa which has helped them become so popular in the developing continent.
