‘Across the board, we are seeing a very good line up’: Ranjivjit Singh

Ranjivjit Singh Hero Moto Corp.'s Chief Growth Officer talks about his plans to solidify the core portfolio in the 100-125 cc segment and introduce new products in the mid-to upper-end of the market as well as premium products, including the proposed foray with the Harley-Davidson X440, scheduled for a July launch.

Autocar Professional caught up with Singh on the sidelines of the 2023 Xtreme 160R 4V launch, to discuss on how the market leader aims to break into the stranglehold of its rivals Bajaj Auto and TVS.

Could you comment on the Xtreme 160R 4V's debut? 
The Xtreme 160R 4V is the world's fastest lightest 160cc in India and provides innovative telematics solutions. The bike has upside-down forks with the option to choose split seats or a uni-body form factor which no other bike delivers in this category.  The company has given a lot of thought to it, and therefore we have a top-class motorcycle in our hands.

Will we see more products, or will the Xtreme 160R be the only one in the segment?
There will be more action coming in across the board. We will be looking at the 125cc, which is a priority for us, alongside the premium category as well. In scooters, we recently launched the Xoom, which is in the 110cc and is doing extremely well. And the uptake is very good. So, across the board, we are seeing a very good lineup.

What we are also seeing interestingly is 150cc above the category where you launched Xtreme 160R.  Do you see more product interventions coming in this category? The investor presentation said two new bikes were coming in the 125cc segment.
We have plans to straddle between the core and the premium ends of the market. We just launched the Super Splendor Xtec which is a 125cc and I must say that it is doing very well. Yes, there will be more launches coming up in the 125cc.

The 125cc category has seen the highest de-growth this year.  Please share your expectation from this segment. 
Not really, 125cc has seen a lot of growth this year. It has got downgrades from a higher category and upgrades from a lower category. It’s been a very well-nourished segment and I believe we have a stronger play to make there and we are on our way.

For Hero MotoCorp, the premium category seems to be the focus right now. So what are the aspirations for the premium segment of the company?
The premium segment is a clear priority for us, and this is the first launch that you are seeing this year. What you would probably see is a lot more launches coming out every quarter. 

With Harley Davidson and the Karizma coming back into the market, how do you see the brand journey from here?
We will share more details when we get closer to those points. But one thing is sure, there will be a lot of action on the launch side from Hero MotoCorp.