The market for super bikes in India has been steadily gaining momentum in the past few months. Recent reports have suggested that big international brands, some already present in the country, are looking to expand operations in India. This piece of news comes on the backdrop of the tremendous performance the two-wheeler market has shown in the month of October. Statistics have shown that sales of motorcycles in the past month have shattered some records. Thereby, it was not a surprise when KTM, the Austria-based bike manufacturer, announced that it is going to bring Husbandry brand to India. Currently, KTM is in a partnership with Bajaj Auto as the former uses dealerships of latter to sell its bikes.
According to reports, the models of Husbandry brand are going to be rolled out from Bajaj Auto's manufacturing facility in Chakan, located in Pune. Notably, Husbandry is a subsidiary that is wholly owned by KTM Sportmotorcycles AG and is a famous manufacturer of sports bikes. Speaking on the same, Stefan Pierer, Chief Executive Officer at KTM Sportmotorcycles AG, said, "Our current focus is the KTM bikes, but in the next two years you will see the Husbandry bikes coming from the Chakan plant." Industry experts feel that these developments indicate the kind of progress India has made in recent years.
KTM has been pretty aggressive in its stance towards the Indian market in recent times. After launching Duke 390 model, reports claim that the company is going to introduce a new series of motorcycles. This series, called RC, is going to be produced at Bajaj Auto's plant and could enter Indian showrooms by 2014. KTM, at present, sells Duke 390 and Duke 200 models in India, which have got a good response from critics and customers. In addition, the Austria-based firm also exports the Duke 125 model to European markets. Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director at Bajaj Auto, spoke about the upcoming model KTM that is going to be launched in India. "KTM has developed a full-fledged sports model under the brand RC. We will launch it by the end of next year," he was quoted as saying.
The association between Bajaj Auto and KTM has been pretty successful as of now. A few years back, the Indian firm had bought a stake in the Austrian company, which the former increased after sometime. Bajaj Auto, on its part, experts feel, has realised the potential growth for super bikes in India. In collaboration with KTM, the Indian bike maker is planning to expand its portfolio in the sports bike segment as well. According to sources, Bajaj Auto is primarily focused on producing good bikes and not taking over KTM. "We don't see any need for enhancing that...Our objective is to be a partner and not to take over KTM," said Rajiv Bajaj.
Husqvarna, as a brand, has a pretty elaborate history that dates back to the 19th century. Interestingly, this firm began its operations by manufacturing bicycles and at a later stage, went on to produce bikes. Also, this company has been acquired by multiple firms over the years. Before it became a wholly owned subsidiary of KTM, Husqvarna was owned by the BMW Group. Bikes from this brand are known all across the world for their acceleration and raw looks. Over the years, bikes from this firm have participated in a number of racing competitions, such as Motocross, Baja 1000 and Enduro.
