The Victor paved the way for TVS Motor Company’s solo ride 15 years ago. The country’s third largest two-wheeler maker launched the all-new Victor and Apache RTR 200 in Chennai this week. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman and Managing Director, took time off for an interview. Excerpts:

How significant are today’s launches for TVS Motor?

It is a very important day in the history of the company. These last five years have built enormous momentum in terms of brand acceptance and quality and we have now been voted No 1 in JD Power Customer Satisfaction across all our products. On top of that, we are launching multiple products. The new XL 100 moped made its debut in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh in end of last year and now you have the new Victor and Apache.

Wasn’t it the Victor which first paved the way for TVS Motor 15 years ago?

The name Victor was chosen to represent victory. It has truly made the company victorious to be able to come out on its own and be an independent manufacturer over the last 15 years.

With the Victor, the challenge was to establish us as a credible player with our own capabilities to design and build products. I think the brand established that though along the way there were some issues and it took us time as an organisation to build competence. Competence is not built in a day. In 2001, while we did make a high quality four-stroke bike for the market, there were lot of niggling quality issues. However, building that capability to design and make holistic products takes years of experience.

How relevant is the new Victor at this point in time?

We have not had a commuter executive motorcycle for many years. The Star City and Sport are offerings at the entry level and not in the middle segment where the Passion, Splendor and Honda Dream operate. We needed to launch a product right in the middle of that commuter segment. This is the largest in the two-wheeler space outside 100cc scooters where we are doing quite well.

Was there a reason to opt for an 110cc, and not 125cc, Victor?

The 110cc is common world over for the commuter market, especially across South-East Asia. When you are looking at performance, riding and delight, the 110cc provides a sweet spot. This is why we have stuck to this space but it is not an average, run-of-the-mill 110cc. It has an EcoThrust engine with a three-valve configuration which produces an interesting combination of power and economy. So, it feels more than an 110cc when you open the throttle but it gives you fuel efficiency like all the other 110ccs though a little better!

Is the Victor entering a different landscape compared to its first avatar?

With Victor, we are entering a far more crowded market of products from Hero, Honda and Bajaj and a lot more had to be done to make it stand out and be different. The buyer profile has also changed and younger people today have much higher aspiration levels than the generation which bought the Victor then.

Moving to the Apache, could you discuss its significance?

I would think Apache got back the spirit of the Shogun. When the two-stroke Shogun era ended, we created Apache and it has been a steady progress where it has become a significant player in the premium segment. We needed to strengthen it again to make it aspirational and I think Apache will do so as a very strong player. What defines Apache for us is the feeling of power when you are on it which is different from equivalent competing products.

Are you pleased with the way things are panning out overall?

I would think so as we have filled most gaps with our recent product launches. The XL 100 is more than a moped and takes care of a lot of entry level rural usage. While the Sport is the entry level motorcycle, the Star City is for smaller towns and the Victor for the city commuter. TVS-ness is the joy of riding and this is what will define all our products. We want to provide the greatest joy of riding to our customers.

How critical is the BMW alliance in the TVS journey?

It is a very important partnership for us because it first establishes that BMW chose TVS among the three domestic players to be a partner. That put the stamp of approval and confidence that TVS was clearly the best in engineering to partner BMW and it is the only partnership that they have done in the world. The product was substantially designed by BMW although we had some significant inputs in terms of making it more cost-efficient. Manufacturing was led by TVS with BMW setting the standards.

Finally, how would you articulate your vision for the company?

When it comes to quality, products, feel and touch, customers should think of TVS as No 1 and this is not about volumes. It happens very often in industry that somebody said they wanted to be No 1, made mistakes and fell only to reboot themselves. We certainly do not want to go through something like that. In India, we are No 3 and will work hard to improve that position. We are at the beginning of that journey, an endless journey that does not have a destination.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW