Harley fails, Hyundai triumphs: India's auto market is unlike any other

The problems: taxation system favours smaller cars, expat CEOs don't always understand business landscape

In recent weeks, cult motorcycle company Harley-Davidson made waves as it announced its exit from the subcontinent just seven months after buzz that US President Donald Trump would actually push for favourable trade terms on his visit here. The goal being that Harley could up the ante in terms of its Indian footprint. Instead, the company that the 1969 Peter Fonda-starrer Easy Rider made famous, slammed the brakes hard on sales and manufacturing operations, taking a $75 million hit because it missed volumes and revenue targets.

Such failure isn’t uncommon.

Between 2014 and 2015, General Motors CEO Mary Barra came