Suzuki targets higher rural market share

Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited (SMIPL) intends to launch few more mass segment bikes by the year  2012. And that is why SMIPL  expects a higher rural market share as it also hopes that the total bike sales of the company may  rise upto 50 per cent. Presently, the Suzuki bikes sold in rural areas consitute 30 per cent of its total bike sales. On the back of new launches, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited is also planning to double its market share in the motorcycle segment to 10 per cent by 2012.

 

 

Currently, the company has bikes in the 150cc segment. Suzuki has recently launched the 125cc Suzuki SlingShot. The current portfolio of both scooters and motorcycles of Suzuki includes Access 125, Suzuki GS150 R and high powered bikes like Hayabusa-GSX1300R, Intruder-M 1800R, GSX-R 1000 and Bandit 1250S. By introducing the new Suzuki SlingShot, the company is targeting at a 10 per cent market share in the motorcycle segment in India by 2012. In the scooter segment,  Suzuki has a 26 per cent market share with sale of 20,000 units per month. The company has less than 5 per cent market share in the motorbike segment.

 

 

Anand Thakur,senior manager, sales, SMIPL was quoted saying that they plan to come up with more mass segment bikes and would launch a 100cc commuter bike for the rural and semi-urban markets within a year's time. Currently, their sales come mainly from the urban markets. He further explained that  the company will invest another Rs 100 crore on ramping up production and new product development. Apart from the 100cc motorbike, Suzuki will also launch a new scooter model by 2012.