Bajaj Auto (BAL), in association with its Austrian ally KTM Power Sports, plans to launch their off-road bike Duke 125cc by December in India as well as in Brazil market. The debut in the Brazilian market – where 20 lakh bikes are sold annually – may see launch of Pulsar and Discover depending upon the response to the Duke brand, said Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of BAL, while speaking to reporters after the company’s board meeting here on Wednesday.
Currently, Duke is manufactured exclusively for the export market at BAL’s Chakan plant, about 30 km from Pune. “Duke is 90 per cent localized.
We have exported 1,700-1,800 Duke bikes so far to Austria and some European countries. The set target of supplying the bikes to KTM during the FY12 is 11,000,” Bajaj said adding that the entry of Duke in Brazil will be followed by investment in marketing and setting up dealership networks there.
The BAL also plans to further strengthen its base in Indian market and has plans to reach out to new category of customers, particularly those in semi-urban and rural areas. The company has modified its popular brand, the Boxer bike, to suit the rural conditions.
“We plan to launch a modified Boxer bike which is specially designed for semi-urban and rural markets by September this year. The bike with 150cc engine will have its complete focus on rural market. It is a product for Bharat and not for India”, said Bajaj.
Regards,
M.Naren.
Author – BikeAdvice.in
