Buoyed by a threefold increase, Japanese automobile manufacturer Yamaha is planning to make India as a hub to manufacture premium motorbikes for the global markets. This might be an outcome of the impressive triple fold increase in two wheeler exports from India.
Yamaha witnessed a huge demand for exports from India which grew at 73 percent in the past year when, at the same period, demand for Yamaha bikes in India grew at 25 percent. Yamaha registered 66,904 units of two wheelers in 2010 fiscal in global exports against 38,639 units supplied in 2008-09. These units include Gladiator, FZ, YZF R15, Crux, Enticer, Alba and Libero G5 range of bikes from India. Yamaha exports bikes to countries like Kenya, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Bangladesh and Philippines from India. Though Yamaha did not reveal what premium motorbikes it is planning to manufacture here in India, this news indicates the grave interest of the firm and the lower cost of manufacturing advantage which India provides to companies. And if we are thinking in the right direction than this could mean cheaper and affordable super luxury sports bikes from the company which currently retail at insane price tags majorly due to the tax and surcharges associated with importing a bike from other countries.
– Saad Khan