Seven products launched since Diwali and eight more planned as Bajaj sharpens focus on strengthening the Pulsar franchise in the 150cc-plus segment
30 Jan 2026 | 336 Views | By Darshan Nakhwa and Ketan Thakkar
With an aim to regain lost market share, Bajaj Auto is sustaining its new product launch plan in 2026, with eight new motorcycle offerings planned over the next four to five months as part of a wider 15-model product plan spanning 2025 and 2026.
The upcoming launches follow seven ...
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With an aim to regain lost market share, Bajaj Auto is sustaining its new product launch plan in 2026, with eight new motorcycle offerings planned over the next four to five months as part of a wider 15-model product plan spanning 2025 and 2026.
The upcoming launches follow seven product introductions since Diwali, bringing the current product intervention cycle to 15 models. While the broader plan spans multiple brands and includes a mix of refreshes and variants, the company’s primary focus is on rebuilding the Pulsar franchise, which it considers its “core driver” of growth and equity.
Speaking to analysts after the Q3 FY-26 earnings announcement, Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director at Bajaj Auto, said the company had deliberately absorbed pressure in recent quarters as competitors introduced new products, particularly in the 125cc-plus segment, while Bajaj delayed launches to avoid disrupting the festive selling season.
“That meant competitors had fresher products last year, while ours were perceived as older. We have now started correcting that,” Sharma told analysts.
He said the company’s market-share strategy remains long-term, with Pulsar playing a central role, especially in the 150cc-plus segment, which Bajaj Auto claims to have created.
“Our heartland of Pulsar equity is the 150cc-plus segment. That is where we have prioritised our R&D and innovation effort,” Sharma said.
These two product introductions each month over the next two quarters will result in a substantially refreshed portfolio by mid-year. Management expects this to stabilise market share over the next six months before outlining the brand’s next phase of growth.
Sharma cited an earlier cycle to underscore Bajaj Auto’s ability to regain market share through timely product actions. Following the introduction of mandatory ABS norms for motorcycles above 150cc, the 125cc segment expanded sharply, and Pulsar’s share rose from around 9% to over 20% within a couple of years after the launch of the Pulsar 125.
Bajaj Auto believes a similar reset is possible in the higher-displacement segments. The company claims that early feedback on some recently introduced models, particularly at the premium end of the Pulsar range, has been positive, Sharma said, while cautioning that it remains early days.
“We are looking at the next six months very closely. Once that is stabilised, we will decide what we want to do over the next two years,” he said.
Demand Outlook
Bajaj expects the two-wheeler industry to sustain double-digit growth in the near term, supported by better consumer sentiment after the GST-led price cuts on entry- and mid-segment motorcycles.
“Based on the way December and January are unfolding, the motorcycle industry growth momentum is sustained and has done better than what we were thinking,” Sharma said.
He sees industry volumes rising about 12–15% over the next few months, with premium motorcycles growing faster than entry-level products.
“There could be a three- to four-percentage-point difference between the bottom half and the top half,” he said, pointing to visible consumer uptrading.
Lower effective prices after the GST changes have triggered a cascading effect, he said. Buyers of used two-wheelers are moving to new ones, while 100cc customers are shifting to higher displacements. “It’s not just the quantum of growth, but the quality of growth,” Sharma said.
Portfolio Expansion
Bajaj is also preparing to widen its brand over the next few years to capture a larger share of the fast-growing mid and premium motorcycle market.
Sharma said there is a clear need for a dedicated brand in the 125cc segment to create a sharper price ladder below Pulsar, and plans for this are underway. “From a couple of years’ perspective, there is certainly a need for a brand in the 125cc segment, and there are plans afoot for that,” he said.
At the higher end, the company sees strong potential to expand the Dominar franchise, especially with global markets in mind.
Dominar has a limited presence in India but is highly successful in markets such as Latin America, Turkey, and Brazil. Bajaj sells more 250cc-plus motorcycles in Mexico than in India, Sharma noted, underscoring the importance of export markets in product planning.
“We are not just looking at India; we are looking at all the markets in which we operate,” he said.
If macroeconomic growth holds up, demand for larger and more powerful motorcycles will rise faster, he added, creating room to grow the Dominar range.
Bajaj is also evaluating new formats such as on-off and off-road motorcycles. These could come under a new brand or be introduced under existing but currently dormant brand names owned by the company.
“There is a pretty rich pipeline, both in terms of portfolio expansion and the birth or rebirth of brands,” Sharma said.