New Delhi, August 1, 2013: Iconic British brand Triumph Motorcycles has finally confirmed plans to begin its India sales operation by November this year. The Leicestershire (UK) headquartered marque had first revealed its India focus when it showcased seven of its bikes, including the Daytona 675, Speed Triple, Street Triple, Bonneville and the Storm and Rocket III cruisers, at the Auto Expo in New Delhi in January 2012.
On July 17, 2012, Triumph and the Karnataka government had inked an MoU under which the company was to set up its plant on a 30-40-acre site at Narasapura, 50km east of Bangalore and on the Bangalore-Chennai highway. With the manufacturing facility slated for completion in 2015, the company is all too keen to test the Indian market for its big bikes.
Therefore, it is going ahead with plans for a CKD (Completely Knocked Down) assembly operation for some of its models in India at a CKD assembly facility, which is nearing completion at Manesar, Haryana. Importantly, as opposed to a CBU (Completely Built Unit) operation, local assembly will help Triumph save on import taxes and thereby cut the cost of its products in India, which at present imposes an import duty of 60 percent on CBUs, 30 percent on semi-knocked down kits and 10 percent on CKD units.
Aggressive pricing is critical for Triumph if it is to make a mark in the Indian market, which already sees the presence of Harley-Davidson, BMW Motorrad and Ducati.
Triumph’s India strategy has been somewhat delayed, given the sudden resignation of managing director Ashish Joshi (who formerly headed Royal Enfield’s European operations) in April 2013.
Emphasising the significance India plays in the global strategy, Paul Stroud – director (Sales & Marketing - global), said: “2013 is a very crucial year for Triumph Motorcycles in India and we are confident about the timing of our market entry. In the past few months, we have carefully assessed the market landscape and will be making well-honed efforts to provide our discerning customers with a complete brand experience.’
Supplementing the announcement of Triumph’s India plans is the appointment of Vimal Sumbly as the managing director for India. Prior to joining Triumph, Vimal was general manager (sales) at Bajaj Auto and has around 16 years of experience in the automobile sector. Vimal, an ardent biker, will drive Triumph’s sales and development programme in India.
Speaking on his new role, Sumbly said: ‘I am delighted to have joined Triumph as the brand looks to embark on a well-phased-out strategy for the Indian market. Our commitment of developing truly iconic motorcycles that are distinctive in looks, design and performance remains ever-present.’
Triumph is currently scouting for dealer partners across key cities in India.