Mahindra doubles Centuro production, receives 4 international patents

Mumbai, December 9, 2013: Mahindra 2 Wheelers has doubled production of its motorcycles to 1,200 units a day as the company tries to clear its four-month waiting list for the 110cc Centuro. Launched in July 2012, the bike has seen 100 percent growth month on month since then.

Vivek Popli, executive vice president, Mahindra 2 Wheelers, said the company is also setting up 50 touch points a month in an attempt in order to widen its network. Popli stressed that the company is keen to ensure that those who bought its bikes would get prompt service.

Explaining sales of the Centuro, which were 65,538 units for April- October 2013, Popli said that between 37 and 40 percent of sales are through referrals of existing owners of the brand.

On other fronts, the company has received international patents for four technology innovations, three of which have been incorporated in the Centuro. P S Ashok, senior VP and head (R&D), said the four patents are for the fuel gauge system, the distance-to-empty system, engine immobiliser and the fourth, which is yet to be introduced, the start-stop system.

Popli also said the company has introduced some organizational restructuring. The company has three basic divisions which include Innovation, Retail and Operations. The Innovation or R&D is headquartered in Pune while including manufacturing and finance is based out of Pithampur. The company has also classified its market into 62 zones each with its own cluster team headed by a cluster business manager.

On the Mojo 300cc bike offering, Popli said the company continues to work on the product which he said has been ’re-created and will be powered by an in-house engine”. There have been changes in styling as well as in ride and performance and there will be a new positioning. In addition, the company is receiving inputs from Mahindra Racing as it goes about putting the Mojo product together.

BRIAN DE SOUZA