Yamaha to introduce scooter in India

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to foray into the Indian scooter market by next year and will set up a separate body assembly line at its Surajpur plant in Uttar Pradesh for this purpose. The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd, is investing Rs 10 crore to set up the body assembly line at the plant. "The scooter market in India is huge and we want to have a strong presence. Now we are preparing to launch a scooter here within 2012," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked what kind of scooter it will be, he declined to specify details, but said: "It will be focused more on personal commuting, with stylish and smart design like Yamaha's motorcycles that are sold here." Suzuki, who was heading Yamaha's Indonesian operations before taking over the charge in India last year, said he would aim to repeat Yamaha's success in the scooter market in Indonesia here.

"In Indonesia, Yamaha has a market share of around 46 per cent, which is very close to that of Honda. I want to replicate that here in India as well," he said. He also said Yamaha's scooters would be positioned differently from those of Honda, which are more family oriented. The Indian scooter market grew 50.54 per cent in 2010 and stood at 19.6 lakh units. It is dominated by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, although other players like TVS Motor Co and Hero Honda have also witnessed good sales.

On the preparations for the launch of the scooter, Suzuki said: "We will need a separate assembly line for it, specially for the body parts. We will invest about Rs 10 crore on setting it up." Last month, India Yamaha Motor Director (Sales and Marketing) Jun Nakata had said the scooter would be an India- specific scooter, which is being developed in Japan.

Suzuki said with the launch of scooter, the company is looking to increase sales volumes in India. In 2011, the company is eying total sales of 5 lakh units, out of which 3.5 lakh units will be in the domestic market and 1.5 lakh units will be exports. Last year it sold a total of 3.8 lakh units, out of which 2.5 lakh units found buyers in the domestic market and 1.3 lakh units were exported. Yamaha had also said it might consider launching an electric bike in the fast growing Indian two-wheeler market to offer an alternative mode of transportation.

Yamaha to unveil scooter in India next year

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to foray into the Indian scooter market by next year and will set up a separate body assembly line at its Surajpur plant in Uttar Pradesh for this purpose.

The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd, is investing Rs 10 crore to set up the body assembly line at the plant.

"The scooter market in India is huge and we want to have a strong presence. Now we are preparing to launch a scooter here within 2012," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked what kind of scooter it will be, he declined to specify details, but said: "It will be focused more on personal commuting, with stylish and smart design like Yamaha's motorcycles that are sold here."

Suzuki, who was heading Yamaha's Indonesian operations before taking over the charge in India last year, said he would aim to repeat Yamaha's success in the scooter market in Indonesia here.

"In Indonesia, Yamaha has a market share of around 46 per cent, which is very close to that of Honda. I want to replicate that here in India as well," he said.

He also said Yamaha's scooters would be positioned differently from those of Honda, which are more family oriented.

The Indian scooter market grew 50.54 per cent in 2010 and stood at 19.6 lakh units. It is dominated by Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, although other players like TVS Motor Co and Hero Honda have also witnessed good sales.

On the preparations for the launch of the scooter, Suzuki said: "We will need a separate assembly line for it, specially for the body parts. We will invest about Rs 10 crore on setting it up."

Last month, India Yamaha Motor Director (Sales and Marketing) Jun Nakata had said the scooter would be an India- specific scooter, which is being developed in Japan.

Suzuki said with the launch of scooter, the company is looking to increase sales volumes in India.

In 2011, the company is eying total sales of 5 lakh units, out of which 3.5 lakh units will be in the domestic market and 1.5 lakh units will be exports. Last year it sold a total of 3.8 lakh units, out of which 2.5 lakh units found buyers in the domestic market and 1.3 lakh units were exported.

Yamaha had also said it might consider launching an electric bike in the fast growing Indian two-wheeler market to offer an alternative mode of transportation.

Yamaha in a plan to set up its 3rd plant in India

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha plans to set up a third plant in India as it looks to expand business here, and also make the country an independent export unit for selling in overseas markets, including Latin America and Africa.

The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 300 crore until 2012 to set up warehouses and delivery centres at its Surajpur plant, the capacity for which is being expanded to touch 10 lakh units by 2013.

"Currently a study is on for setting up a third plant. By the end of this year, we should think of a new factory," India Yamaha Motor Pvt Ltd CEO and Managing Director Hiroyuki Suzuki told PTI.

Asked about the time frame for the plant, he said: "We would like to start making the plan for it as soon as possible."

He said the need for a third plant, over and above the Surajpur and Faridabad plants, is in view of the company's ambitions to expand in the Indian market as well as also an intensified focus on exports.

"By 2013, we would like to sell 800,000 units in the domestic market and 200,000 units in export when the Surajpur plant reaches a capacity of oe mllion units annually," Suzuki said, adding, by 2015 the company is look at an annual export volume of three lakh units.

In 2011, the company is eyeing a total sales of 500,000 units, out of which 350,000 will be in domestic market and 130,000 of exports. Last year it sold a total of 480,000 units with exports accounting for 130,000 units.

At present India Yamaha's exports is done through its parent in Japan which act as the via media for selling between its different subsidiaries.

"We are trying to make India Yamaha an independent export unit rather than doing it through Yamaha Japan. We have started exporting directly to Nepal and the next would be Bangladesh and Sri Lanka," he said.

If the model becomes successful then India Yamaha will also look to export directly on its own to new markets.

"The markets in Africa and South America are suitable for our mass market bikes like the Crux and YBR. We would like to sell directly to Yamaha's subsidiaries there," Suzuki said.