FOR LONG the preserve of scooters and some clunky motorcycles, India’s two-wheeler market revved up with the first sign of real action in the mid-1980s, when the Japanese rolled into the country through collaborations with local firms. Escorts brought in Yamaha, which launched the iconic RX100—adored and cherished to this day. Bajaj tied up with Kawasaki to launch a few models that extolled the virtues of speed and performance.
Yet, the one that laughed all the way to the bank was Hero, which tied up with Honda. While Yamaha and Kawasaki focused on style and power, Hero Honda catered to middle-class India’s primary concerns— affordability, manoeuvrability and, above all, mileage.
Through unforgettable campaigns like ‘Fill it, shut it, forget it’, Hero Honda became India’s, and then the world’s, largest-selling two-wheeler brand. Hero retained its numero uno position even after exiting the partnership with Honda in 2011. And this continued value proposition meant competitors had to rework their strategies, as India over the decades became a commuter bike market firmly focused on low-power (mostly in the 100cc-125cc range) and high fuel efficiency.
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