Kawasaki Ninja 650R Price in India
Bike priced at `4.75 lakh; co to increase local sourcing to cut costs
Bajaj Auto, India's second-largest two-wheeler manufacturer, sees the market size for premium bikes doubling with the entry of Kawasaki Ninja 650R in its pro biking stable. Kawasaki is also looking at sourcing locally in order to offer products at competitive pricing.
Bajaj Auto assembles and distributes Kawasaki bikes in India.
According to the company's estimates, the market size for premium bikes (priced between `3 lakh and `8 lakh) is roughly around 30 bikes a month. "With our new offering, we expect to double or triple the market size. We hope to be the largest player in this segment," said Eric Vas, president, new projects, Bajaj Auto.
Further dividing the premium bike category, Vas said, "While evaluating the market we realised that there is a lot of scope in the `3-8 lakh segment as there are very few players in the market. Currently, only Harley Davidson and Hyosung have offerings in this segment. Hence, we see a big opportunity to grow."
As far as super premium bikes are concerned, currently 26 models are being offered in the market and around 35 bikes are sold on a monthly basis. The segment includes players such as Honda, Ducati, Harley Davidson and Aprillia. "It gives a good value proposition to introduce a bike in `3-8 lakh category," said Vas.
According to the company's estimates, the market size for premium bikes (priced between `3 lakh and `8 lakh) is roughly around 30 bikes a month. "With our new offering, we expect to double or triple the market size. We hope to be the largest player in this segment," said Eric Vas, president, new projects, Bajaj Auto.
Further dividing the premium bike category, Vas said, "While evaluating the market we realised that there is a lot of scope in the `3-8 lakh segment as there are very few players in the market. Currently, only Harley Davidson and Hyosung have offerings in this segment. Hence, we see a big opportunity to grow."
As far as super premium bikes are concerned, currently 26 models are being offered in the market and around 35 bikes are sold on a monthly basis. The segment includes players such as Honda, Ducati, Harley Davidson and Aprillia. "It gives a good value proposition to introduce a bike in `3-8 lakh category," said Vas.
Ninja 650R will be Kawasaki's second offering in the Indian market. The company had launched Ninja 250R in October 2009 and so far sold 1,500 bikes here. The company is also evaluating options of bringing in more vehicles in the Indian market going ahead. However, it did not divulge more information on the same.
As far as pricing is concerned, the Japanese bike maker managed to launch the Ninja 650R at a very competitive price of `4.75 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The product is expected to give tough competition to the recently launched Hyosung's GT650R, which is priced at around `5 lakh.
On pricing strategy, Yoshiro Segawa, managing director (designate), India Kawasaki Motors, said, "We have an assembly unit in Thailand for Ninja bikes wherein we have tried hard to reduce the prices; however, the quality remains the same."
On pricing strategy, Yoshiro Segawa, managing director (designate), India Kawasaki Motors, said, "We have an assembly unit in Thailand for Ninja bikes wherein we have tried hard to reduce the prices; however, the quality remains the same."
The company is also looking at sourcing components locally in order to maintain competitive pricing. According to a company official, Kawasaki currently sources only 2-3% of components from India. However, Kawasaki is looking at increasing this percentage going ahead.
Kawasaki Ninja 650R will be sold through Bajaj's pro biking business, which currently sells premium bikes from Bajaj's stable. The company will also market KTM bikes through Bajaj's pro biking outlets going ahead. Currently, pro biking business contributes around 3,500 vehicles a month to the overall volumes of Bajaj Auto. The two companies are also looking for common synergies for capturing the overseas market. Currently, the two companies are working together in the Philippines and are in discussion to establish market in other geographies as well.
Source: DNA
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