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.
Denne historien er fra October 22, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra October 22, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
