Honda’s two-wheeler operations in India is the second largest in the company’s global sales with 1 out of 4 two-wheelers sold by the automaker worldwide coming from India.
Earlier this month, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) introduced the refreshed versions of the Activa-i and Aviator scooters for the 2015 model year, launching a total of eight models for the first six months of 2015. On the sidelines of the launch, Honda spoke about its future plans for the Indian market, which is a significant contributor to the Japanese auto giant’s global sales. The automaker conveyed that India is the second largest contributor to Honda’s sales globally at present and will be company’s largest market by 2018.
Currently, one in every four two-wheelers sold by Honda worldwide is from India. The automaker has been steadily growing in the domestic market posting strong demand for its scooters, while motorcycles including the Dream series, CB Shine and CB Unicorn have been consistent sellers as well. In the past years, the manufacturer sold 1.2 million units in the 2009-10 fiscal, which grew up to 4.45 million two-wheelers in the 2014-15 financial year. The company is now aiming to achieve a sales target of 4.7 million two-wheelers this financial year.
Honda India’s strong growth will be fuelled further by its upcoming scooter manufacturing facility located in Gujarat. The plant is expected to commence operations by early 2016 and will help the manufacturer reach a total production capacity of 5.8 million units, once full capacity is achieved. Honda still has seven more launches pending for the year and the list includes the highly awaited CBR650F, Livo 110cc (CB Twister replacement), as well as the refreshed versions of the CBR150R and CBR250R, among others.
