TVS and BMW Motorrad partnership turns 10, sells over 140,000 sub-500cc bikes

Scripting an exemplary partnership in the two-wheeler industry, India’s TVS Motor Company and Germany’s BMW Motorrad are celebrating 10 years of their strategic partnership.

Spanning over product development, design, technology, knowledge sharing, and developing common platforms for both their global customers, the strategic partnership between the two companies has achieved a series of milestones globally.

TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad signed a long-term strategic partnership in April 2013, to manufacture sub-500cc motorcycles for global markets. This collaboration has resulted in the development of four products on the 310cc platform: BMW G 310 R, BMW 310 GS, BMW G310 RR and TVS Motor Company’s flagship motorcycle, TVS Apache RR 310. With over 140,000 customers, the motorcycles under this partnership have been well accepted across all the leading markets like the EU, USA, Latin America, Japan, China, and India.

TVS Motor’s Hosur manufacturing plant produces around 10% of BMW Motorrad’s volumes, globally. The BMW Motorrad models – BMW G 310 R, BMW 310 GS, and BMW G310 RR are now available in over 100 countries.

The TVS-BMW Motorrad partnership has spawned four bikes till now: (from left): flagship TVS Apache RR, 310; BMW G 310 RR, G 310 GS and BMW G 310 R.

Speaking on this milestone achievement, KN Radhakrishnan, director and CEO, TVS Motor Company said, “TVS Motor’s decade-long relationship with BMW Motorrad is a testament of our common values on innovation, quality, customer delight, engineering prowess, and focus on delivering globally aspirational products. We have together achieved pinnacles of success with the genesis of iconic brands including TVS Apache RR 310, BMW G310 RR, BMW G 310 R, BMW 310 GS that are today available across 100-plus markets. And now with the extension and expansion of this partnership towards future technologies and sustainable mobility solutions, we are also in discussions to expand our manufacturing network beyond India to cater to our future growth under this partnership, which includes the recently unveiled BMW CE 02. We look forward to working closely on developing platforms targeted towards the global urban-centric markets and the ‘uber-cool’ next generation of consumers.”

 Dr Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, said, “This 10th anniversary is an impressive proof of the success and strength of the collaboration between BMW Motorrad and TVS Motor Company. What began 10 years ago has developed into an extraordinary success story. Our strong synergies have led to the development of impressive offerings in the sub-500cc segment. Since the launch, BMW G 310 R and BMW G 310 GS single-cylinder models continue to enjoy unrivalled popularity and have become a key pillar of BMW Motorrad's worldwide success. The extension and expansion of this partnership towards future technologies and sustainable mobility solutions including the unique and fully electric masterpiece BMW CE 02 is therefore a consistent step to also shape the future together with TVS Motor Company”.

TVS Motor Co has designed, developed and built the platform for the recently revealed BMW CE 02 electric two-wheeler. 

Extending tie-up for future tech and EVs

In December 2021, TVS Motor Company and BMW Motorrad announced that they were extending and expanding their long-term partnership for the joint development of new platforms and future technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs). The second jointly developed platform (after the 310 bikes) to spawn from this partnership is for the recently revealed BMW CE 02 electric two-wheeler. Interestingly, the CE 02 platform has been designed, developed and built by TVS.