Few months ago, during the launch of a Yamaha product, the company announced its plan to develop a $500 (Rs 30,000) motorcycle that will be made in India and exported globally. This upcoming motorcycle is being developed under Project Indra where Indra stands for innovative and new developed based on responsible analysis.
Project Indra will involve teams from the company’s manufacturing and R&D operations in India working in tandem with their counterparts in Japan. It is in line with the objective of the recently commissioned India Procurement Centre which will oversee supply of parts to Yamaha’s operations across the world. At present, there are 37 vendors who export 130 parts worth Rs60 crore. The target is to increase this to Rs 360 crore (60 vendors and 300 parts) by the end of 2016. These vendors have been trained by Yamaha teams, both from Japan and India, to focus on consistency in quality and competitive prices. This global sourcing exercise will be a critical input to making the affordable bike a reality.
“We are developing the India business aggressively not only for the local market but to support Yamaha operations across the world,” said Yury Panteleev, corporate group head, India Yamaha Motor.
The Japanese manufacturer may launch this motorcycle in 2016-2017, if everything goes as planned. The company’s goal is not only to make a cheap bike but also concentrate on performance, styling and safety parameters. Once launched, it will compete with the Hero HF Dawn – the most affordable petrol motorcycle in India.
