Bajaj Auto Plans 12 New Models By September, Two New Brands This Year

Bajaj Auto plans to roll out 12 models, 10 facelifts and two new Pulsars, by September, with two new brands in the 125cc segment planned later this fiscal, as the company looks to consolidate gains in the 150cc-plus category and extend its reach into the mass motorcycle market.

Joint Managing Director Rakesh Sharma said the company will introduce a new 150cc Pulsar along with 10 facelifts across the 160cc to 400cc range, followed by a new 125cc Pulsar. "Our aim is to accomplish this exhaustive portfolio makeover within the next six weeks," Sharma said, adding that early market response would be reported by the company's next earnings call in October.

Beyond the Pulsar refresh, the company plans to introduce two new brands in the 125cc segment within the fiscal year, though Sharma did not commit to a specific timeline. The new brands will carry distinct positioning from Pulsar, he said. "The propositions will be different from Pulsar... there will be two different brands," he said, without disclosing further details. The strategy is also intended to draw customers upward from the 100cc segment, which Sharma said the company was prepared to lose share in rather than compete purely on price.

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Bajaj Auto has an aggressive product plan for this financial year.
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The refreshed N and NS series in the 150cc-plus range have already gained traction since their November launch, with the two models now accounting for nearly 60% of sales in that segment, Sharma said.

KTM Turnaround On Track

Chief Financial Officer Dinesh Thapar said KTM's turnaround remained on track following the restructuring that had disrupted production in the year-ago quarter. "The planned normalisation of dealer and plant inventories has largely been completed, with inventory levels now stabilising at the desired levels," Thapar said. KTM exports from India grew over 20% in the quarter.

Sharma said India's role in KTM's global manufacturing footprint would expand further, citing cost competitiveness and existing research and development collaboration between the two companies. "There will be a substantial amount of manufacturing here," he said.

Triumph Exports Surge

Triumph exports from India rose 40% year-on-year in the quarter, the company said. Domestic momentum was aided by the recently launched Tracker 400, styled on flat-track racing. Together, KTM's Adventure range and Triumph's Scrambler now lead the adventure motorcycle category in India, the company said. The joint KTM-Triumph store rollout has expanded to nearly 90 outlets, with total Triumph touch points now at around 210-215.

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