Yamaha Motor in Rs 100 crore spread plan

Yamaha Motor India, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese two-wheeler giant Yamaha, has plans to invest Rs 100 crore in product development and expansion of production capacities to be able to introduce new products and meet anticipated incremental sales, the company's managing director M Shibuya said in a statement issued here today.

The company is hoping that the fresh investments will make Yamaha a major player in the world's second largest two-wheeler market. The market is currently dominated by Hero Honda, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company.

Shibuya was quoted in the statement: "At present, our focus is to consolidate our position in the Indian market. A significant element of this focus area is to translate our R&D efforts into an unmatched value proposition for the Indian customer."

He said that a step in that direction is the launch of a new 125 cc four-stroke model called 'Fazer', which is will be launch by the middle of this year.

The company will also launch a new variant of its 105 cc Libero priced at Rs 39,800 (ex-showroom Delhi) at the auto expo, which starts on January 15, he added.

The launch of new models is part of a three-pronged plan outlined by Yamaha, which includes consolidation and upgradation of dealer network and strengthening of supply chain.