TVS-Norton Partnership: Future Plans Revealed

We caught up with the Joint Managing Director of TVS Motor Company, Sudarshan Venu, who revealed plenty of insight about the TVS-Norton partnership

While it may seem like it’s all doom and gloom thanks to the ongoing pandemic, TVS has offered us enthusiasts a ray of hope by announcing that it has acquired Norton Motorcycles. It didn’t exactly come as a surprise as just about a few days before the acquisition, rumours were rife about TVS’ move. Now that the deed is done, we got a chance to interact with TVS Motor Company’s Joint Managing Director, Sudarshan Venu, for a clearer picture of what the partnership is all about. Here are the answers to all the pressing questions:

What will TVS-Norton prioritise first?

Sudarshan says TVS’ endeavour will primarily be to “revitalise the glory of the brand”. What this means is that TVS will be looking to engage with Norton customers across the globe while it takes steps to rebuild and scale up the brand in terms of volumes. The company will be looking to focus its efforts to cater to the needs of its customers by making products for the developed markets first, followed by developing markets later.

TVS also says that it has acquired all the rights to Norton’s current lineup. That means the brand will continue manufacturing all the models that are already in production like the Dominator and Commando 961 range and the Norton V4 RR faired supersport. 

Norton’s priority will be to upgrade its existing lineup to comply with Euro 5 emission norms. Once that is done, Norton will also be able to resume its sales in India as the regulations in our market demand compliance with Euro 5/BS6 norms.

What exactly has TVS acquired from Norton?

TVS has acquired all the Intellectual Property rights of the brand and its existing lineup as well as some of its upcoming two-wheelers. Norton’s global distribution will now be under TVS’ control. Sudarshan says since it’s an asset purchase, there are no past liabilities involved. 

What happens to the customers who have booked a Norton? What about the existing dealers?

There are about 300 pending orders. Sudarshan says the brand will work out a plan to connect with all the Norton customers to deliver their bikes. The details of this plan will be announced soon. At present, Norton has 76 dealers in 21 countries and it plans to retain them, and in addition, add more to go with its plans to scale up the business. TVS is also looking to leverage its supply chain prowess if it caters to the brand’s needs.

Will we see a small capacity TVS-Norton motorcycle?

Norton Motorcycles has its own fan following and the idea is to cater to that premium, boutique motorcycle segment where the company has played in for the last few decades. So it is unlikely that there will be a small capacity motorcycle coming out of this acquisition. 

What happens to Norton’s upcoming 650cc parallel twin range?

Sudarshan says details about Norton’s upcoming products (such as the Atlas 650) will be announced at the right time. The plan is to focus on Norton’s current lineup and cater to customers who belong to Norton’s current 900+cc segments.

Will Nortons be manufactured in India?

The design and production of all Norton motorcycles will continue to be based out of the UK for now. Sudarshan says Norton will move into a new facility in about six months within the UK itself. The company is currently working on appointing a management team to work alongside newly-appointed interim CEO, John Russell (ex-Harley-Davidson Europe boss), so that the company can begin to function normally. Other than the earlier management, the rest of the workforce will be carried forward under the new leadership. That said, expect Norton to eventually have a base in India too, but that is still quite a few years away.