Husqvarna Motorcycles to Start Manufacturing Bikes in India

Husqvarna Motorcycles, a dirt bike manufacturer and a subsidiary of KTM-Sportmotorcycle, is likely to make India the hub for production and export of its motorcycles. The Austrian manufacturer is planning to carry out the manufacturing process in collaboration with Bajaj Auto, at Bajaj’s Chakan facility which is situated near Pune. According to Economic Times, the motorcycles will be exported from India through CKD route and will be assembled at KTM’s facility in Austria. These motorcycles manufactured in India will be sold in Europe and United States from 2017. The bikes will most likely feature same 125cc and 390cc engines that are currently being used in KTM bikes developed in collaboration with Bajaj. One of the upcoming bikes from KTM’s Indian lineup, KTM RC390 was recently spied testing on Mumbai-Pune highway.



Stefan Pierer, Chief Executive, KTM, said in an interview, "The focus was previously on off-roaders. Now we are developing on-road models which are partly based on the engine platforms we are doing together with Bajaj. In 2017, we will launch the first models in Europe and then in the US. We are looking at how it works and then rolling out globally, coming basically back to India. We are getting engines and components for the models from Chakan for assembly in Austria initially. Later on, India could be part of the production plan. It is a step-by-step process.” He added, “In my opinion, Bajaj is the most efficient producer and it helps us price our KTM entrance products very competitively in emerging markets. Together we could achieve very good quality levels on the products we sell globally."

Deepesh Rathore, Founder and Director at Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors, said, "KTM's alliance with Bajaj gives them access to a low-cost production hub for motorcycles below 500cc, which is where the volumes are."

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