Mahindra eyes full pie in 2-wheeler biz

25 Mar 2009 Evaluate

Almost a year after India’s premier tractor and utility vehicles maker, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), announced the acquisition of Kinetic Motors, it has put up a blueprint to enter every key segment of the two-wheeler market. M&M will take on Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India (HMSI) and will have models in the 100cc, 125cc and 150cc mobike segments, and also in the ungeared low and high-powered scooter segments.

At a press conference, Anand Mahindra, vice-chairman and managing director, M&M, said that its two-wheeler project is complete and the company has begun marketing the fleet in Bangalore and it will be on roads soon.

The company is planning to leverage the research and development (R&D) strength of Engines Engineering Srl, an Italian engine and design company it bought last year. The company specialises in developing small yet powerful and fuel-efficient engines for motorcycles. The idea is to establish M&M in the two-wheeler segment through transfer of technical knowhow. In addition, SYM, the Taiwanese two-wheeler company, which has agreed to extend its tie-up to M&M after the Kinetic takeover, will also help provide technology, perhaps more for the gearless scooters segment.

M&M’s ultimate goal is to be in every segment of the two-wheeler industry,in the big engine segment of motorcycles, as well as in the smaller entry-level scooters. M&M currently sells only a gearless scooter called Flyte. This product, originally built by SYM, has been altered by M&M to suit the Indian consumer. Its sales have more than doubled after the Kinetic takeover. M&M currently sells 3,500-4,500 units of the scooter a month, as against the 1,500-2,000 units sold earlier. According to sources, demand for the scooter has been growing 50-70 per cent every month, mainly on account of improved marketing techniques. Freshly developed products by the company may see co-branding of Mahindra Kinetic, as both companies enjoy a strong brand value.crackcrack

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