NEW DELHI: Did you know that the second-biggest two-wheeler model in India last fiscal was not a motorcycle but a scooter? Honda Activa, the model credited with reviving the dying scooter market after the exit of Bajaj Auto, outpaced many of the famed motorcycle brands to emerge as the second largest-selling two-wheeler brand, behind only Hero Splendor.
The good old scooter is making a strong comeback. After being relegated to a near-oblivion status, scooters have staged a smart recovery, capturing nearly a quarter of the domestic two-wheeler sales.
The revival has been in the works over the last few years, driven by modern and contemporary models from the stable of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) that in 2001 put faith in the dying segment at a time when Bajaj AutoBSE 2.22 % — the country's biggest scooter brand — was moving out of the category to focus on motorcycles.
According to numbers analyzed by TOI (based on figures provided by industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers), the share of scooters in the country's two-wheeler sales has gone up to nearly 25 per cent at the end of 2013-14 against 14% in 2007-08.
A total of 36 lakh scooters were sold in 2013-14, registering a growth of 23 per cent, while motorcycle sales moved up by 4%. However, motorcycles had reported a volume of 104.8 lakh units, according to Siam numbers. The growth rate for scooters has been faster than motorcycles for the last many years, indicating the rising acceptance of the category among buyers.
Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com
No comments:
Post a Comment