Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd will launch a ‘sporty bike’ next year as part of a series of launches to strengthen its offering in the two-wheeler segment. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, and President Automotive and Farm Equipment sectors, told Business Line the company is working on a sporty bike, a niche offering.

It had showcased a sporty product at an “auto expo a couple of years back which is yet to come out,” he said. However, he declined to elaborate on the features, saying: “We need to preserve the excitement and some level of anticipation for the people to see what comes out.” .

The bike will be in keeping with the company’s image in the utility vehicle segment, in which Mahindra is the market leader.

Its two-wheelers, the Centuro and the Penturo, are mainstream products and competing with the products of market leaders

The successes of the two models “have given a tremendous push to the two-wheeler business, which has been struggling for some years. We need two or three such good launches for us to be a viable alternative,” he said.

Mahindra has in the pipeline a range of product launches over the next two years, he said.

“And if we get good response, then I think our two-wheeler business will be in a good shape.”

The two-wheeler business has picked up in the last four months or so with the Centuro selling around 25,000 units a month and “there is a good waiting list”.

The company is now producing about 30,000 two-wheelers a month against 24,000 last month.

By March 2014, it hopes to reach 50,000 units. The increased production will be from its existing lines through manpower addition, Goenka said.

balaji.ar@thehindu.co.in

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