Bajaj Auto Ltd is targeting a sales of over 6,00,000 motorcycles during the current financial year, up from 4,20,000 in the last fiscal. R L Ravichandran, vice-president (business development and marketing), Bajaj Auto, said: "Next year, our sales should be between 8,00,000 and 8,50,000. And, our final target is to touch a sales of 1,00,000 motorcycles per month."
To attain the target for the current fiscal, Bajaj Auto would require a sales growth of around 43 per cent over that of last year. And the company seems to be on the course to meet the target. During the first four months of the current financial year (April-July), the company has recorded a sales of 1,70,715 motorcycles -- a 45 per cent rise over 1,17,962 motorcycles sold during the corresponding period last fiscal.
The target of 6,00,000 also means that the company will have to sell almost 4,30,000 motorcycles during the remaining eight months of this fiscal. In other words, on an average it will have to sell over 50,000 motorcycles per month. The company's sales figures in July show that for the first time it has attained a sales in excess of 50,000.
Ravichandran said, "Earlier, we were nowhere in the picture. But for the last five quarters, we are clearly in the number two position, after Hero Honda."
To meet the target, Bajaj Auto has lined up a slew of new launches. In the utility segment, the company has recently launched Boxer CT. In the medium-price category, it has lined up Croma and Aspire, which are to be launched in this month. In the premium-category bike, Eliminator, will go national from this month. Also slated for launch in October are two variants of Pulsar -- a high-end sports cruiser -- in 150 cc and 180 cc versions.
Ravichandran said, "Aspire and Croma are going to be key contributors to the enhanced volumes projected. You can enter a Bajaj Auto dealership with anything between Rs 32,000 and Rs 96,000 and ride home a Bajaj motorcycle -- be it Boxer AT or Eliminator."
Boxer, the company's entry-level vehicle, is being touted by the company as the largest-selling utility motorcycle, since its launch a few years ago with nearly 50 per cent share of this segment of the market. "The Boxer variants have sold close to 4,00,000 making it the fastest-selling bike in the country," Ravichandran said.
