With the Government recently giving the green signal to quadricycles as a vehicle category, off-road vehicles manufacturer Polaris wants its products to come under this category as well. Such a move would help in mass selling such products in India.
Polaris India, domestic arm of the US-based company, sells around 20 different products in various categories of off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and snowmobiles. These vehicles can be driven only off-road, as they cannot get registrations and, if seen on roads, can be confiscated by the police. They can be driven only in enclosed areas such as farmhouses or tracks owned by individuals.
Exhaustive rules
“The Government has approved quadricycles as a category. In Europe, the rules are exhaustive and contain one section for ‘recreational vehicles’, under which all our vehicles fall. I would be happy if they include our products in the rules, as in Europe,” Pankaj Dubey, Managing Director, Polaris India, told
In Europe, the ATVs get registered under that section, which should apply in India as well, he said, adding that it will help overcome customer reluctance to buy the products. “We are approaching the Government in different forums to support us. Since the rules are being made now and there is a similar rule in Europe, we hope the complete quadricycles rules are implemented in India,” Dubey said.
Once the rules are clear, the company would complete all the formalities such as mandatory fuel emission norms, he added.
Target buyers
Security agencies and para-military forces in the country are reportedly interested in buying such vehicles to fight naxalites. The forest department is also interested, he said, adding that the agencies have already seen and tested the vehicles, and are waiting for internal approvals for purchase.
Apart from tourists and special tracks enthusiasts who purchase the vehicles for recreational use, individual buyers such as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, UB Group Chairman Vijay Mallya and industrialist Ness Wadia have also bought vehicles from Polaris.
The company has 14 dealers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Dehradun, and will be opening one in Guwahati this year.
There are 16 tracks, most of them in South India, including two in Bangalore and one each in Chennai and Coimbatore, Dubey said.
The prices of the different models range between Rs 2.50 lakh and Rs 25 lakh, and all are imported as completely built units.