Yamaha will look at building a strong scooter portfolio in the 125 cc and 150 cc range while it will concentrate on consolidating its 150 cc and 250 cc motorcycle space
Yamaha’s India division will be aiming to double its market share in the next three years courtesy of a strengthened portfolio of products across different segments. The Japanese manufacturer will bring in new motorcycles and scooters and it will capitalise on the market trends as well as the expected growth that has been hampered in recent years due to the health crisis.
In an interaction, Yamaha Motor India Group Chairman, Eishin Chihana, told that his brand plans to target urban and semi-urban customers and mitigate the production impact caused by the chip shortage. He said: “We are taking countermeasures, and purchasing semiconductors even at higher prices to support our dealers. We intend to at least double our market share by 2025.”
The company will look at building a strong scooter portfolio in the 125 cc and 150 cc range while it will concentrate on consolidating its 150 cc and 250 cc motorcycle space. Last year, Yamaha had a market share of 3.6 per cent in the Indian two-wheeler sector as it sold a total of 5,22,000 units. Chihana further added that the feasibility study of introducing an electric two-wheeler is on and a decision will be made soon.
Mainstream manufacturers like Hero MotoCorp with the EV-only subsidiary Vida; Honda with a possible electric scooter having swappable battery tech and Suzuki with an electric scooter based on the Burgman the EV race is well and truly on and Yamaha will more likely be part of the segment in the near future and a few days ago it unveiled the E01 and Neo’s.
Yamaha’s other key rivals such as Bajaj Auto and TVS have already entered the space thanks to the Chetak and iQube respectively and more new electric two-wheelers are expected from both brands in the near future. Yamaha’s latest launches such as the fourth generation R15, Aerox 155 and the hybrid versions of the Fascino and RayZR have been well received amongst customers.
It is gearing up to launch the updated MT-15 in the coming weeks and it will more likely gain a dual-channel ABS system, Bluetooth connectivity, new colours and possibly USD front forks. However, the wait for XSR 155 still continues.