Bajaj Auto aims to be a full-spectrum player

Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director of Bajaj Auto, is upbeat about the plans for electric where the Chetak has already set the ball rolling. The company will also bring its three-wheelers under the electric fold at Aurangabad. Akurdi will roll out its first electric scooter in June

- Sricharan R

Akurdi is the two-wheeler electric hub for Bajaj Auto and also home to an exciting partnership with Yulu which will could see initiatives in the B2B space possibly under the Chetak brand.

Bajaj Auto is gearing up to expand its offerings in the electric vehicle space. By June, the company is expected to roll out its electric-powered Chetak from the Akurdi plant, the home of the original Bajaj Chetak.

At Autocar Professional's Two-wheeler EV Forum, Rakesh Sharma, Executive Director of Bajaj Auto said, “We are looking to expand the Chetak portfolio. Along with Yulu, we will add new products in the low and mid-speed segments. In the three-wheeler place, we are going to begin the certification process very soon. Here too, we will take it slow and reach a few cities first with strong service support."

He said that Bajaj's electric business arm for two-wheelers, Chetak Technology will spearhead its EV foray. "We want to give a sharp and specific focus to the EVs," he said. So far, the response for Chetak has been 'outstanding and the company has a huge order book, according to Sharma. The product has been widely accepted and its availability in the cities has been a cause to cheer about., he added. "Our dilemma is, how fast to expand. We want to expand to 100 cities from 18 cities at present, and the response has been great. We are listening and finding that the product is good from our customers. However, the supply chain is not permitting the expansion," he stated.

"It is a tricky balance of sorts we are trying to manage. Gone are the days where people wait for a longer period to get their hands on their vehicle. We are working on supply chain issues. And, all now depends on building the capacity and R&D strengths. With this, we are confident of winning the market over the period of 20-25 years," he added.