He further went on to say that the Discover 100 was the reason why the company became No.2 in the country.
In a recent discussion, Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto recalled the launch of the Discover 100 commuter bike and called it the “biggest blunder” of their product line. This was the reason why the automobile manufacturer stayed and still is at the No. 2 position, he further stated.
The Discover commuter bike was a huge success in its 125cc format, which was evident from its rising sales numbers. It worked because it offered a good mileage with a little bit of fun, he said.
Rajiv Bajaj further said that despite holding a winner product, the reason they stayed at No. 2 in the country in terms of bike volumes was because of the wrong decision made to offer the 100cc version. He went on to say, “Greed came in. Marketing people said if the 125cc Discover sells so much then how many would a 100cc Discover sell?”. He believes that if the decision had not been taken then, things would’ve looked differently for the company. After making the Discover 100, the company lost its position and in 5 years, their performance went down as well.
He is however hopeful about Bajaj’s alliance with KTM. The Austrian bike brand has made waves in the Indian market with its motorcycles. Bajaj had invested in KTM in 2007 at a time when the brand was only manufacturing 65,000 units. It was still the second largest European motorcycle brand whereas Harley-Davidson had an average production of 3.5 lakh motorcycles.
But it wasn’t too long before Harley-Davidson declined and it is estimated that they will finish this year with 2.4 lakh units, whereas KTM will finish with 2.7 lakh units this year, stated Rajiv Bajaj.
Bajaj Auto is also looking to enter the e-vehicle space despite launching cheap variants in the past. It is in the plans to study the segment and work towards a winning product in 2019, said Rajiv Bajaj.
Discover 100 Launch
– Rajiv Bajaj stated Discover 100 the reason why Bajaj Auto is No. 2 in India
– Hopeful about alliance with KTM
– Is looking to enter the e-vehicle segment in 2019
Source- ETAuto.com