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Blake
| | Posted on Friday, August 28, 2009 - 06:33 pm: | 
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From a Harley-Davidson Inc. Press Release:
HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO EXPAND INTO INDIA
Initial Steps Include Establishment of Subsidiary and Dealer Network
NEW DELHI (August 27, 2009) – Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) announced today its plans to formally enter the motorcycle market in India, where it expects to start selling its iconic motorcycles in 2010. The company has established a subsidiary to be located in Gurgaon, near Delhi, and has begun the process of seeking dealers.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and Chief Operating Officer, Matthew Levatich, is an invited speaker at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers annual convention on August 28, and will provide further details on the company’s plans then.
“As India continues to extend its global reach, so does Harley-Davidson,” said Levatich. “We believe Harley-Davidson has outstanding opportunities for continued growth around the world.”
The company’s current approach is to import its motorcycles, accessories and riding gear, and it will continue to evaluate how best to evolve its approach to the market as Harley-Davidson’s business in India grows.
“India is important to our long-term vision of being a truly global company,” said Harley-Davidson Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Keith Wandell. “We are committed to India for the long term, and we are focused right now on establishing a strong foundation.”
India is the second-largest motorcycle market in the world, with sales dominated by small, inexpensive bikes used as basic transportation. However, India’s rapidly growing economy, rising middle class and significant investment in construction of new highways have opened the door to leisure motorcycle riding.
“Given the rapid development of India’s economy and physical infrastructure, this is exactly the right time to bring the world’s greatest motorcycles to one of the world’s largest motorcycling nations,” said Levatich. “Our unique brand, distinctive motorcycles and strong experience in the leisure motorcycle market make us naturally suited to help lead and define the next era of motorcycling in India.”
Harley-Davidson is the global leader in cruising and touring motorcycles and ranks as one of the strongest brands in the world, with motorcycle sales now in more than 70 countries.
“Harley-Davidson fulfills dreams for people around the world through life-changing products and experiences,” said Levatich. “The Harley-Davidson brand represents self-expression, adventure, the freedom of the open road, and belonging to a global community – a family of riders. We know the relevance of the Harley-Davidson brand rings true in India just as it does in other markets around the world.”
The company will focus its initial steps in India on growing the Harley-Davidson brand through a variety of consumer experiences and on establishing a local dealer network.
The Harley-Davidson subsidiary in India will be led by Managing Director Anoop Prakash, who said the company has begun the process of identifying initial dealers in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Punjab State.
“As a key next step, we are looking for local dealer partners who share our passion and commitment to building customer relationships, the Harley-Davidson brand and our business in India for the long term,” said Prakash. |
Cyclonedon
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 - 01:40 am: |
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I wonder how the sales of all the chrome accessories will do there? And the Harley-Davidson motor clothes sales of all the leather outfits? Could be interesting! |
Glitch
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 08:20 pm: |
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Indian Harley-Davidson? |
Moxnix
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 09:44 pm: |
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A market for the Blast. |
Slimdave
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 - 05:45 pm: |
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I would love to be part of this. If anyone at corporate sees this contact me. The Dali Lama on a Buell? WOW! |
Saxon59
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 03:26 pm: |
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I guess all that job outsourcing was good for H.D.now they can sell thier bikes where the jobs are. |
Court
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 05:20 pm: |
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Tough to ignore 1,147,995,904 people and the country that ranks up toward the top of world markets.
quote:Two- wheeler sales in the country have sky rocketed in the recent years, and the annual sales of motorcycles in India expected to cross the 10 million mark by 2010. The low penetration of two-wheelers in the country 31 two-wheelers per 1000 citizens (2004) leaves immense scope for the growth of the market. Overall the industry sales of two-wheelers have grown by 15% from 6.57 million in 2004/2005 to 7.57 million in 2005/2006. The buoyant Indian economy with a growth rate of around 8% per annum is further expected to fuel the growth of two wheelers in the country.
The share of motorcycles have increased over the years, while that of other two-wheelers like geared scooters, scooterettes and mopeds have shown a negative growth or remained stagnant. The two-wheelers have penetrated 7% of rural house hold and 24% of urban markets, thus it leaves an immense scope for the market to grow.
But hey . . . . I'm just a construction worker with a nasty habit of ruining internet threads with facts . . . |
Daveswan
| | Posted on Thursday, October 15, 2009 - 09:26 pm: |
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Hmm... interesting market. It could be popular driving to the Mahindra tractor factory we're they'll reverse engineer it.
Cigarettes are crazy hugely popular, a enormous market share through Asia and Middle Eastern regions... If we send them all of our 50s classics up through easy Rider they may identify with the OLD HD image along with smoking 10 packs a day. Which will prop up Harley just enough to give them cash at which time the current brain-trust at Harley retires and the new blood realizes the era has changed and they crank out Buells. Then India realizes they're behind 50 years and we sell them Buells and we live happily ever after. The End. |
Ranmar850
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 01:07 am: |
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I can see it all now-15 or so years from now, when US H-D is going under again, due to their usual demographic getting too old for anything but gophers, the Indian subsidiary will step in and stage a buyout. They will then continue to manufacture exactly the same product for many years, because they won't be bound by the emissions regs that will kill the air-cooled bikes in their original homeland. Eventually, they will re-export a slightly tweaked version to the US, feeding the pent-up nostalgia for the good ole days. Anyone heard of Royal Enfield ? 
(runs for cover, donning flame suit ) |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 01:18 am: |
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>>>Anyone heard of Royal Enfield ?
Sure. I've been taking photos of them here in NYC. A fellow at my office has a REAL Royal Enfield but the city has a lot of the ones from Madras, India running around. |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 01:20 am: |
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quote:
The company will focus its initial steps in India on growing the Harley-Davidson brand through a variety of consumer experiences and on establishing a local dealer network.
Anybody else counting the diverse things that Harley-Davidson has committed to "focus" on over the last 60 days?
Perhaps it's time to form a focus group to focus on what to focus on. |
Moonrunrs
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 01:46 am: |
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The emerging markets in China and India would have been good for Buell. Bikes like the City X would be good for Asian cities and roads, and their price point would have attracted newly middle class riders who want something different and American made. In China, American made products have a good reputation, GM cars and mini-vans are very popular with the rising wealthy.
Ah well...What could have been. |
Road_thing
| | Posted on Friday, October 16, 2009 - 06:31 am: |
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Anybody else counting the diverse things that Harley-Davidson has committed to "focus" on over the last 60 days?
...bofus??
rt |
Wilcom
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 03:27 pm: |
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WalMart is having trouble entering the Indian market. What makes Harley think they can do any better? |
Daveswan
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 07:02 pm: |
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I was doing some figuring. The US has roughly 280-million people. India has 1.2-billion - around 4 times as many as the US. Their mean annual household income: 34,551 rupees = ($735) depending where you look the figure varies, 7.2% unemployment, so even if there is gross disparity across certain regions that pull that number down. Delhi has one of the highest per capita incomes in India- roughly $59,000 Rs, that's about $1,500 US.
Now does that mean that Harley is going to be able to manufacture and market a $15,000 bike for about $1,500? Wouldn't they have to be made in indian factories with less expensive resources. This isn't like selling them to consumers in the United Arab Emirates with disposable money to throw around so even if there are people there that can pay the US price It's going to be a much smaller percentage. |
Ferris_von_bueller
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 08:09 pm: |
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Beyond motorcycles, where is the required energy and raw materials going to come from to transform the undeveloped world? |
Daveswan
| | Posted on Saturday, October 17, 2009 - 08:24 pm: |
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maybe they're going to build Harley's like these http://www.derringercycles.com/bikes.htm and then pretend to innovate by just reintroducing all of the models beginning in 1926? |
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