The Hindu Business Line : TI Cycles eyes fitness equipment market

TI CYCLES of India, part of the Murugappa Group, is venturing into the sports equipment market under the BSA brand. It is currently test-marketing products in Chennai and intends launching them on a pan-India basis early next year.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Mohit Khattar, Vice-President, Sales & Marketing, TI Cycles of India, said, "We are looking at the high-end fitness equipment market and intend importing machines for the Indian market." The company will be launching a range of cardio-vascular training equipment, including exercise cycles and treadmills, under its BSA brand.

The fitness equipment industry is now dominated by a host of imported brands. Though there are domestic players like Proline in this space, the US-based Precor dominates this market.

The company is also planning to introduce organised retailing in the Rs 1,500-crore cycles industry. It has already launched two shops under the Cycleworld brand in Chennai and plans to extend its franchise network across the country.

"We are targeting at least ten stores by the end of this financial year. We will be bringing certain advantages to the table like providing a service network for the first time in the industry," added Khattar. In an effort to organise the otherwise fragmented cycles retailing industry, the company has launched its own stores, which would offer a range of services such as after-sales services, home delivery and exchange schemes.

There are also plans to rename its retail outlets — now called Cycleworld. "Our agencies are presently brainstorming in creating a new name for our outlets, to make it more aspirational for our consumers," Khattar said. TI Cycles continues to sell its brands — BSA and Hercules — through its existing 10,000 shop-in-shop outlets across the country.

The company has launched mountain bikes, city bikes, geared bikes and folding bikes. In fact, the company wants to tie up with an SUV manufacturer for its folding bikes. "We would like to showcase the benefits of our folding bikes along with an SUV manufacturer and would shortly be choosing an auto company as a partner," said Khattar.

Considering that the cycle industry has been stagnant for a while, TI Cycles wants to project the vehicle as a recreational vehicle than a mere transportation one. "In the US , cycles are used mainly for recreational purposes and there has been a turnaround in the industry," he said. The company wants to emphasise the `recreational' aspect by sponsoring the Hercules 45th Mumbai-Pune Cycle race. "The Mumbai-Pune Cycle race is all about the spirit of `can do', and that is personified well by our brand, Hercules. As leaders in mountain bikes, Hercules aims to bring excitement and adventure back to cycling."

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