In August 2021, Honda lead the Indian market in terms of two-wheeler production,
Last month, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) had the highest production figures for two-wheelers in India. The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer tops the chart by producing a total of 4,67,918 two-wheelers with 3.48 per cent growth on a Year-on-Year (YoY) basis.
Back in August 2020, Honda’s two-wheeler production figure stood at 4,52,169 units. In comparison, Hero’s two-wheeler manufacturing figure for the same period was 5,88,719 units, which translates to a 28.43 per cent YoY decline in production in August 2021. Hero’s manufacturing plants were closed from 15th to 18th August, which is the major reason for the production drop.
Honda, on the other hand, is coming off strong at the moment. It introduced a new model a little while ago – CB200X – which is the brand’s most affordable ADV in the Indian market. Other than that, the company also launched its virtual BigWing showroom in the country recently. Currently, the online showroom only has one model on display – H’ness CB350 – along with riding accessories.
Honda is expanding its physical BigWing dealer network across India as well, which is responsible for the brand’s premium models (300cc and above). Also, HMSI has stated that it is planning to add 1,000 customer touchpoints over the next three years, with a focus on small towns and villages. Catering to the rural markets would surely help the manufacturer register a boost in sales.
Hero had also launched its virtual showroom in our country earlier this year. Unlike Honda, Hero has a selection of models on display there, consisting of the Xpulse 200, Xtreme 200S, Xtreme 160R, Passion Pro, Splendor Plus, Pleasure Plus, Destini 125, Maestro Edge 110, and Maestro Edge 125.
The Indian automobile industry is currently on the road to recovery from the lockdown-induced sales slowdown. Automakers are expecting high demand in the approaching festive season, and with lockdown restrictions slowly but steadily easing across the country, we expect production figures to soar soon, although semiconductor chip shortage will continue to be a major limiting factor.