Hero MotoCorp, India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, recently confirmed about the undertaken development of a motorcycle that will be priced a shade lower than its entry-level HF Dawn model. Notably, the two-wheeler company is currently selling HF Dawn at a retail price of Rs. 37000 in the domestic market. This is indeed a good news for customers and all bike lovers who were anxiously waiting for the confirmation of such rumours spread in the market. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, reportedly said, “We are always working to bring the cost down of our products. We are working on a bike that will be less expensive than our current entry level HF Dawn bike but not drastically cheaper.” Also, although Munjal declined to share further details about the bike, he did say that once the vehicle is introduced in the market successfully, the company will look into the export aspect as well.
Earlier, on 10th October, 2013, the auto company had unveiled 15 products that it plans to launch in the market in the next six months of this current fiscal. Some of the products that were showcased by the two-wheeler company were refreshed top-end Karizma R bike, ZMR and Splendor iSmart along with a new variant of Pleasure scooter. Notably, majority of these new products will be entering the market in this last October-December quarter. The sole idea is to make the most of the ongoing festival for boosting sales by attracting more customers. Munjal also added, “It has just been over two years since we commenced our solo journey, and in such a short span of time, we have made significant upgrade of our existing line-up, incorporating next-generation technology and features. This is also a reiteration of our capability to develop indigenous technologies.”
Incidentally, the announcement about the introduction of over 15 new offerings by March 2014 has come only recently, thereby depicting the kind of future plans the firm has. The intention associated with such a move was hinted to be counted as a measure to consolidate the leadership position in the Indian market. Among products that have been unveiled by the two-wheeler maker, one can find a refreshed version of the high-end bike Karizma. Apparently, Karizma is Hero's first commercial production model that received major developmental inputs from the US-based partner Erik Buell Racing (EBR).
Apart from the inception of refreshed variants of currently available models, the auto company will be introducing other products as well that will have a major contribution from the Research and Development team. These innovations have been filed by the company for acquiring patents. Munjal said that after acquiring a new identity in 2011, Hero MotoCorp had promised to deliver 50 new products in the subsequent three years. Confirming about the same promise, he further added, “Today we have 15, so there are 35 more to come in the coming years.”
