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Sudha Menon

Hopes domestic sales to cross 7 lakh units this fiscal

Pune , Nov. 24

It might not have succeeded in making a dent in the country's booming motorcycles market but Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Ltd (HMSIL) is all set to give its Unicorn and Shine models a global footprint.

The company also expects domestic sales to cross seven lakh units this fiscal and is further pushing volumes by significantly increasing its dealer network, Mr N.K. Rattan, Divisional Head, told Business Line.

"We already export 30,000 units of scooters to markets, including Europe, and are now examining Latin America and West Asia as potential markets for our motorcycles," Mr Rattan said, adding that parent Honda Motors will use its global network to help the subsidiary find markets.

The first exports of the two motorcycle models are, meanwhile, headed to Nepal this year, and the company is right now studying other markets where its products might have potential, he said.

Increase dealership

With sales expected to shoot up to over 7 lakh units from last year's 6 lakh, the company is further pushing volumes by increasing its presence across markets.

"We want to increase our dealer strength from 260 to 280 by the end of the current fiscal and have 320 dealers in place by end of the next fiscal," Mr Rattan said.

The company, which is already present in the 125-cc and 150-cc segments, will focus now on consolidating its presence in these segments. "But we cannot rule out the possibility of looking at higher cc bikes in the future since that is the growing segment of the market," he said.

Unicorn's new look

Industry sources insist that a new look version of its 150-cc Unicorn model is awaiting launch in January. The company has announced a Rs 400-crore investment programme for the market over the next three years and plans to launch a new product every year.

The launch this month of the self-start 125-cc Shine, meanwhile, has already pushed sales of the model from 8,000 a month to 10,000 and will take up volumes significantly, according to Mr Rattan. "We have already sold 3,45,000 scooters till date and 95,000 motorcycles between April and November," he added.

More Stories on : Outlook | Exports & Imports | Two/Three Wheelers

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