Reported By:
| Edited By: Yuga Chaudhari |Source: DNA |Updated: Mar 18, 2018, 03:38 AM IST
Bajaj Auto, India’s second-largest two-wheeler company, is set to launch a brand new version of Pulsar, its flagship offering in the premium segment, by the last quarter of this fiscal. The bike will be based on a completely new platform.
“We plan to launch a new Pulsar with cosmetic changes in August this year. We intend to bring in a brand new Pulsar by the last quarter of this financial year,” Kevin D’sa, president of finance, Bajaj Auto, said on the company’s earnings call.
“We are building a completely new Pulsar from the scratch. There will be different variants of the new Pulsar,” said Milind Bade, GM - marketing, Bajaj Auto.
Bajaj currently sells around 50,000-60,000 units of Pulsars on a monthly basis. The company has market share of around 50% in the premium segment. “Emphasis will be on how to grow this segment. The existing Pulsar model has been around for quite some time. It was time to bring in a refreshed version of the product,” said Bade.
“The product lifecycle in the premium is very small. The products in this segment require constant upgradation as customers are looking for new designs and technology. Hence, the new Pulsar will work in company’s advantage,” said an analyst from PINC Research.
Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, had earlier said that the company is developing an all-new platform that will churn out the next-generation Pulsars and Discovers. Bajaj is in the process of completely revamping its existing product line. The automaker is also working on re-launching the Boxer (125cc), targeted at the rural markets, where Hero Honda’s Splendor is the market leader.
The bike will be launched in the second quarter of this fiscal.
The company is also planning to introduce bikes from KTM stable. Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV Netherlands, a 100% subsidiary of Bajaj Auto, currently holds 38.09% stake in the Austria-based KTM. D’sa told analysts that the company intends to increase the share to 49% going ahead.
Company’s domestic motorcycle sales grew 10% (underperforming the industry growth of 17.4%) in the first quarter, while domestic three-wheeler sales increased 11.3% year on year against 4.9% industry growth. Bajaj Auto’s domestic market share declined by 80 basis points quarter on quarter to 25.3% in the June quarter from 26.1% in the preceding one.
